KUALA LUMPUR – Aira Azman stayed on course for her second title in the British Junior Open squash championships when she stormed into the girls’ Under-19 semi-finals of this year’s edition in Birmingham, England earlier today.
World No. 71 Aira, who won the Under-15 title in 2018, had to slog to defeat fifth-eight seed Asia Harris of England 11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3 in the quarter-finals at the University of Birmingham.
The Alor Setar-born Aira, who is seeded joint third-fourth, will take on Egyptian Fayrouz Abouelkheir in the last four.
Malaysia will have two more semi-finalists as Jinooreeka Ning (girls’ Under-13) and M. Nickhileswar (boys’ Under-15) have also made the cut.
In the quarter-finals, joint third-fourth seed Jinooreeka downed Canadian Joelle Kim 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 while top-seed Nickhileswar ousted England’s Ismail Khalil 11-8, 11-7, 11-8. – Bernama, January 7, 2023
