Tour de fours
Fight by opponents bring out the best in champs
IVAN Yuen and Low Wee Wern showed fortitude to rule the National Squash Championships in style despite earlier fears of having lost a bit of their touch due to the Covid-19 interrupted season. It was Ivan’s fourth title in a row and Wee Wern’s fourth in eight finals.
BUKIT JALIL: Ivan Yuen and Low Wee Wern lived up to their top billings to capture their fourth National Squash Championships titles.
Ivan overcame Mohd Syafiq Kamal 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 in the men’s final while Wee Wern staved off S. Sivasangari’s onslaught to win 3-11, 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-9 for the women’s crown at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Both winners were happy with their victories but were more thrilled by the fight given by their respective opponents in the final.
Ivan, who nailed his fourth consecutive title, said back-up player Syafiq’s performance would augur well for the team as they prepare for the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022.
“I feel really happy today as I managed to hold myself and stayed focused throughout the match,” said the 30-year-old Ivan.
“Syafiq fought hard as it was his first final. His display augurs well for the national team.”
Wee Wern said being in the final eight times kept her in good stead for the showdown with Sivasangari.
The 30-year-old said she thought the match was slipping away in the fifth set but luckily, she recovered to pull off the win.
“Initially it was national No. 1 Nicol (David), who denied me victory in a couple of finals. Now, I have managed to win a fourth title in eight finals, so I definitely feel good about it,” said Wee Wern, the current national No. 1.
“Sivasangari is dangerous as once she gets a good lead, she will try harder and if her shots get through she is quite difficult to handle.
Although I was five points down in the fifth set, I had a game plan and it worked for me in the end.
“I tried to control the match as best I could and managed to do it in patches. I believed in my abilities and it helped me bounce back to win the title.”