NATIONAL squash stars S. Sivasangari and Rachel Arnold powered their way into the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Gaynor Cup in the United States, delivering strong performances in their respective matches on Thursday.
World No. 10 Sivasangari, the tournament’s third seed, overcame a slow start to defeat England’s world No. 43 Grace Gear 7-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-5 in just 33 minutes.
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The victory was a morale booster for Sivasangari, who had faced an early exit at last month’s Tournament of Champions in New York.
Up next, she will take on England’s world No. 51 Torrie Malik on Friday, aiming for a spot in the semi-finals. Sivasangari, who captured last year’s London Classic title, is eager to regain momentum this season.
Meanwhile, world No. 19 Rachel Arnold delivered a commanding performance, dispatching Hong Kong’s world No. 48 Tong Tsz Wing 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 in just 20 minutes.
The sixth-seeded Malaysian now faces a formidable challenge in the quarter-finals against world No. 4 Olivia Weaver of the United States.
Rachel, who recently reached the quarter-finals of the Carol Weymuller Open, will be looking to surpass that result and make a deeper run in the tournament.
