KUALA LUMPUR − Both men’s and women’s national squads were truly on fire as they maintained their winning streak to stroll into the last four on the second day of the Asian Team Squash Championships.
The Malaysian men’s team, which had to play twice again yesterday in Group B actions, pulled off a sensational 2-1 victory against reigning champion Hong Kong in the evening session and a 3-0 win against Iran in the afternoon session while the ladies prevailed over India, 2-1 in a Group B match.
World number 50 Ivan Yuen gave Malaysia a 1-0 lead against Hong Kong as he fought back from losing the first set 9-11 to record a remarkable victory of 11-6, 11-6, 11-8 over Henry Leung in the remaining sets.
However, Addeen Idrakie could not hold Malaysia’s one-point advantage as he allowed Lau Tsz Kwan to draw a level for his team by winning 9-11, 7-11, 8-11.
Malaysian top player Ng Eain Yow then sealed a fourth group victory for Malaysia as the world number 18 snuffed out a challenge from Yip Tsz Fung 13-11, 11-3, 12-10.
Eain Yow, when met after the match told Bernama that he was ecstatic to help the team come out on top against Hong Kong and reminded his teammates that the job is far from over as they needed to get a win against Sri Lanka in the last match to ensure they finished as the Group B champion.
In the match against Iran earlier, Addeen delivered the first point for Malaysia after he put on a sublime performance to vanquish Seyed Mohammadreza Ziyaekashani 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 in just 19 minutes.
Mohammad Syafiq then handed the second point as he notched a win against Navid Maleksabet 12-10, 11-5, 11-7 while Eain Yow survived an early scare, which saw him losing 5-11 and took the rest of the game 11-3, 11-0, 11-4 to beat Alireza Shameli and bag the win for Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the ladies − as the second seed of the tournament − enjoyed a second victory in a row as they recorded a narrow 2-1 win against third seed India after overpowering Iran 3-0 in the opening fixture of Group B yesterday.
However, they had to come from behind as Rachel Arnold lost in the first game 11-9, 8-11, 7-11 11-8 9-11 in a five-set thriller against world number 12, Joshna Chinappa.
The newly-crowned 2021 Malaysian Open champion Aifa Azman then levelled the score for Malaysia as she subdued Sunyana Kuruvilla 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 while Ainaa Amani ensured a winning point for Malaysia after defeating Urwashi Joshi, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8.
The Philippines await the ladies’ national squad in their final Group B tie tomorrow. – Bernama, December 2, 2021
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