NATIONAL squash ace S. Sivasangari is poised to reach new heights at the upcoming British Open, with her coach Ajaz Azmat backing the world No. 8 to deliver a standout performance in Birmingham.
The 26-year-old Malaysian, who created history by making it to the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Chicago earlier this month — a feat last achieved by Datuk Nicol David in 2017 — is brimming with confidence heading into the prestigious Diamond-level tournament.
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Sivasangari, who already clinched the Cincinnati Open title this year, has been training under the guidance of former world champion and three-time British Open winner Gregory Gaultier in Prague since April.
“Sivasangari’s game has matured under Gaultier. I’m confident we’ll see an even better version of her at the British Open,” Ajaz, who oversees her training in Malaysia, told New Straits Times.
She starts her campaign with a first-round bye and is expected to cruise past her second-round match against either Scotland’s world No. 53 Lisa Aitken or India’s world No. 56 Anahat Singh.
Her first major hurdle is anticipated in the third round against Japan’s world No. 9 Satomi Watanabe, who, like Sivasangari, reached the World Championships quarter-finals and recently made the final of the Palm Hills Open in Giza.
“Satomi did well to reach the Palm Hills final and will be full of confidence going into Birmingham,” said Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) coaching director Andrew Cross.
If Sivasangari overcomes Satomi, she is likely to face Egypt’s world No. 5 Amina Orfi in the quarter-finals — a rematch of their Malaysia Cup clash in November, which Orfi won.
Last year, Sivasangari exited the British Open in the second round after falling to Egyptian star Nour El Sherbini.
In the men’s draw, national No. 1 Ng Eain Yow, ranked 12th in the world, also received a first-round bye. He will face France’s Victor Crouin (No. 14) in a tough second-round encounter.
“Matches against Crouin are always tight,” said Cross. “He had to dig deep to beat him 20-18 in the fifth game at last year’s Singapore Open.”
Victory could set Eain Yow up for a quarter-final showdown with world No. 5 Joel Makin of Wales.
Meanwhile, Rachel Arnold (No. 19), Aifa Azman (No. 39), and Ainaa Amani (No. 48) will also represent Malaysia in the women’s main draw. Rachel will play Egypt’s Kenzy Ayman (No. 38), Aifa meets Zeina Mickawy (No. 29), while Ainaa faces England’s world No. 25 Sarah-Jane Perry in their opening matches.
