PETALING JAYA: National squash players S. Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow will have to get past Egyptian obstacles for a taste of home glory after checking into the women’s and men’s finals at the 2024 Malaysia Squash Cup today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, women’s top seed Sivasangari, 25, advanced to the final with an impressive 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 victory over Scotland’s Georgia Adderley in just 31 minutes, boosted by strong local support in the semi-finals at The Curve Mall. Sivasangari, who is aiming for her second title on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour this season, will face Egyptian world number 10 Amina Orfi in tomorrow’s title match.

Amina Orfi ended the possibility of an all-Malaysian final by defeating Rachel Arnold 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 in a 45-minute contest in the other semi-final. Sivasangari, who lost to Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb in the semi-finals last year, is eager to claim the championship this time. She expressed anticipation for a challenging match and emphasized her strategy t
o focus on her game and aim for improvement.

In the men’s final, world number 14 Eain Yow is set for a tougher challenge as he faces top seed Youssef Soliman. Eain Yow secured his spot in the final with a 49-minute victory over India’s Abhay Singh, while Soliman overcame compatriot Youssef Ibrahim in a demanding 95-minute match.

The Malaysia Squash Cup, a bronze-level tournament on the PSA Tour, boasts a total prize purse of US$64,000 (about RM286,000) for each of the men’s and women’s categories.