Eain Yow, Sivasangari impress
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Nafiizwan and Delia given a run by duo
DEFENDING champions Nafiizwan Adnan and Delia Arnold see bright futures ahead for two national juniors who tried to usurp their positions at the National Championships in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
While Nafiizwan was in control in seeing off the challenge of world junior champion Ng Eain Yow, Delia was given a huge scare by S. Sivasangari in the women’s semi-finals.
Delia needed all of her experience to win 1412, 10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7 to set up a repeat final against two-time champion Low Wee Wern, who sped past Rachel Arnold 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 in 20 minutes.
Nafiizwan survived a brief lapse of concentration in the third game, when Eain Yow retrieved a 6-1 deficit to draw level at 9-9, before completing an 11-8, 11-6, 11-9 win.
The top seed will meet Ivan Yuen in the final today after the national No 2 overcame Addeen Idrakie Bahtiar 11-4, 11-4, 11-7.
“I did well to control every single angle. I focused on keeping it tight and put the pressure on and that was the big reason I won comfortably,” said World No 31 Nafiizwan after reaching his fourth final at the Nationals in five years.
“I believe Eain Yow can be a really good player. It is all about the heart. Even when I was a junior I was nothing.
“You have to work hard and the boys, Eain Yow and Syafiq Kamal, they can go far. It’s about putting 110 per cent from all angles. They can be really good players.”
Similarly, Delia and Wee Wern both see great potential in Sivasangari, 17, who has won six PSA Tour titles this year besides clinching the Asian Junior Under-19 title and reaching the World Junior Championship semi-finals.
“This is my first time playing her and I expected a tough game,” said World No 15 Delia. “Sangari played really well, her lengths were very tight and credit to her. I think she can be the next top Malaysian player.
“It was a really close match and I’m glad I won in five. It could have gone either way. It’s good to see the juniors are closing the gap and I hope to see the next top 10 or top 20 player emerge soon.”
Wee Wern is looking to regain the title she last won in 2014 after making it to her fifth consecutive final at the Nationals.
“I’m looking forward to playing Delia again,” said Wee Wern, whose head-to-head record against Delia stands at 5-5. “She had a hard one today and it’s never easy to play against an up-and-coming player so I’m sure she felt a lot of pressure and Sangari had nothing to lose.
“Sangari got in there and gave everything she had against Delia which is a good sign as they are pushing the boundaries.”
Ivan, 26, a world junior runner-up in 2009, has a chance to show that he can play at Nafiizwan’s level as he looks to go one better than his runner-up showing in 2014.
“I wouldn’t say there is much of a gap between Nafiizwan and I as we have played many times and it has always been quite close,” said Ivan, who has beaten Nafiizwan just twice in 13 meetings, including the 2014 semi-finals.
“Of course, he’s a senior and ahead of me but I hope I can do better.”