Sujithra out for vengeance against Shasmithaa in last four
KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen-yearold K. Sujithra has a score to settle with N. Shasmithaa in the semi-finals of the girls’ Under-15 category in the REDtone KL Junior International Squash Open Championships.
Joint fifth-eighth seed Sujithra, representing Kuala Lumpur, needed just 20 minutes to overcome South Korea’s Kim Dami 11-9, 11-8, 11-3 in the quarter-finals at the National Squash Courts in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Shasmithaa, also from KL, booked her place in the last four after beating Penang’s Visharti Venkatesh 11-6, 11-0, 11-8.
Sujithra said she wants to avenge her straight-sets defeat to Shasmi-thaa in the second round of the National Junior Championships in Bukit Jalil last year.
“The defeat still haunts me. And I want to settle the score,” said Sujithra, who is the youngest of four siblings.
“I’m in an upbeat and uncompromising mood. My speed has improved steadily and my shots are better.”
Sujithra hopes to bag her third title this year after winning the MSS KL Under-15 title in February and the KL Junior Closed in October.
“I hope to continue my winning momentum,” added Sujithra, who thanked three coaches – Raymond Arnold, Kim Hyun-goo and Rashidi Abdul Hamid – for helping her improve her game.
In the first round, Sujithra beat Amira Syakira Diyana Shaiful Azuar 12-10, 11-1, 11-3 before overcoming Jia Wen Ong 12-10, 11-6, 11-5 in the second round.
Top seed Aira Azman from Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) also advanced into the semi-finals with an 11-6, 11-3, 11-9 win over J. Yasshmita of Negri Sembilan.
The Kedah-born Aira will face Sarawak’s Nathalie Sim, a joint fifth-eighth seed, for a place in the final.
Nathalie came from two sets down to upset joint third-fourth seed Anis Sofea Mohd Arif of Kedah 4-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10 in the quarter-finals.