In-form Sehveetrraa storms into quarter-finals

KUALA LUMPUR: National junior squash player K. Sehveetrraa has a strong track record as far as the REDtone Kuala Lumpur International Junior Open squash championships is concerned.

And she is continuing that form as she powered her way to the quarter-finals in the girls’ Under-15 event as she swept past Selangor’s Vinikasheinie Kulasegaran 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 in the fourth round.

The first seed will now meet Negri Sembilan lass Nur Maisara Mohd Azlan Shah, who downed Akari Midorikawa from Japan 11-8, 11-4, 11-4, in the last eight today.

Sehveetrraa is in the hunt for her sixth KL Open title, having won the Under-9 title (2013), Under-11 titles (2014 and 2015), Under13 titles (2016 and 2017).

She had also finished runner-up in the Under-9 in 2012. And the 13-year-old, who won the British Junior Open (BJO) Under-13 title in January, is oozing with confidence to keep her winning streak intact.

“I started the year with a bang and hopefully will end it on a winning note, too,” said Sehveetraa.

After the BJO, her Pakistani coaches – Jrar Aslam and Shah Nawas – decided to let her compete in the older category.

And in June, she certainly justified their faith in her by finishing runner-up to Sabahan Yee Xin Ying, who is studying at the Bukit Jalil Sports School, in the Under-15 at the Penang International Junior Open.

In the Under-19 third round, second seed Siow Yee Xian defeated Al Amri Hamad of Qatar 11-8, 11-9, 12-10.