Malaysia’s Subramaniam, Egyptian trio storm into Pakistan Open semis

Anwar Zuberi Published December 1, 2018

KARACHI: Top seed Yathreb Adel (front) and Rachel Arnold in action during their Pakistan Open Squash Championship match at the Asif Nawaz Squash Complex, DA Creek Club. — Newspaper

KARACHI: Fifth seeded Malaysian Sivasangari Subramaniam created a minor upset when she stunned fourth seed Liu Tsz-Ling from Hong Kong in a fully stretched battle to book a berth in the women’s semi-final of the Pakistan Open Squash Championship at the DA Creek Club’s Asif Nawaz Squash Complex on Friday.

With junior under-19 British Open title under her belt, the world No 46-ranked Subramaniam roared back to win the fifth and decisive game after her opponent had drew level at two-all in the best of five encounter.

The 19-year-old Subramaniam who is also Malaysian national champion, had a brisk start taking 2-0 lead winning the first and second games 11-9, 11-8 before she lost the pace and saw lead slipped from her hands. She lost successive games 3-11 and 6-11 before making a comeback to clinch the decider 11-4. The quarter-final lasted 27-minutes.

Liu, who is world No 36, had won the PSA Victorian Open at Australia in july.

Subramaniam is set to face second seed Egyptian Nadine Shahin in the second semi-final on Saturday as the latter breezed past sixth seed Satomi Watanabe of Japan straight 11-6, 11-3, 14-12, also in 27-minutes.

Top seed Yathreb Adel and third seed Zeina Mickawy, both from Egypt, are set to face each other in the first semi-final after registering victories in extended and rigourous four games duels.

Runner-up of under-23 British Open this year the world No 24 Yathreb survived scare to justify her credentials by prevailing over seventh seed Rachel Arnold of Malaysia 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 in agonising 34-minute match.

The Alexendria-based Zeina, who is world No 32, also came under spotlight as she sweat for 45-minutes to post 11-8, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10 victory over unseeded Frenchwoman Enora Villard.

It is pertinent to mention that the latter had who overcome eight seed Tong Tsz-Wing the other day.

Meanwhile, the quartet comprising top seed Karim Abdel Gawad (Egypt), second seed Diego Elias (Peru), fourth seed Nafiizwan Adnan (Malaysia) and fifth seed Arturo Salazar (Mexico), as expected, cruised into the men’s last four.

Former world No 1 Gawad handed 11-9, 11-7, 11-1 defeat to fellow Egyptian Mazen Gamal in 29-minutes. He is slated to take on Nafiizwan Adnan who rallied to beat DHA Cup winner and unseeded Ivan Yuen of Malaysia 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10 in 69-minutes in the other quarter-final.

Diego and Arturo posted straight victories to continued their winning march. The former gets the better of seventh seed Egyptian Karim El Hammamy 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 in 35-minutes while the latter was home against unseeded Mostafa Asal 11-5, 11-2, 11-7 in 31-minutes.

Results:

Men’s quarter-finals:

Karim Abdel Gawad (Egypt) bt Mazen Gamal (Egypt) 11-9, 11-7, 11-1; Nafiizwan Adnan (Malaysia) bt Ivan Yuen (Malaysia) 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10; Arturo Salazar (Mexico) bt Mostafa Asal (Egypt) 11-5, 11-2, 11-7; Diego Elias (Peru) bt Karim El Hammamy (Egypt) 11-6, 11-7, 11-9.

Women’s quarter-finals:

Yathreb Adel (Egypt) bt Rachel Arnold (Malaysia) 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9; Zeina Mickawy (Egypt) bt Enora Villard (France) 11-8, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10; Sivasangari Subramaniam (Malaysia) bt Liu Tsz-Ling (Hong Kong) 11-9, 11-8, 3-11, 6-11, 11-4; Nadine Shahin (Egypt) bt Satomi Watanabe (Japan) 11-6, 11-3, 14-12.