KUALA LUMPUR: Former world number five, Low Wee Wern (pic), who is making her debut in the 2019 Tournament of Champions Squash Tournament, advanced to the second round in New York on Friday (Saturday in Malaysia).
The 2018 Malaysian Open winner, defeated Egyptian youngster, Mayar Hany; winning in 12-10, 11-3, 6-11 and 11-6 in her first round match held at Harvard Club of New York, according to the tournament website;www.tocsquash.com.
On the victory, Wee Wern was delighted with her winning return to New York and looking forward to a second round battle with the sixth seed, Nour El Tayeb of Egypt today.
“I used to be one of the youngest on the circuit, but not any more. There are a lot of Egyptians coming up and I’m just really happy that I managed to settle down a little bit, which is something that I have been struggling with ever since I started playing again,” she said.
“After winning the second, I felt quite good on court, but in the third I lost all of my length and I couldn’t get it back, even in the beginning of the fourth. I’d been trying the same thing for a game and a half and it still wasn’t working, so I thought I tried to step it up a bit more as I had nothing to lose and it worked for me today,” the 28-year-old Penangite, who was out for 21 months following a knee injury she sustained at the 2016 United States Open, added.
Joining her in the second round is reigning national champion, S. Sivasangari who scored a 11-2, 11-7 and 11-8 win over Fiona Moverley of England in another first round tie at the New York Athletics Club.
Malaysia did not send any representatives in the men’s division of the tournament. – Bernama