PETALING JAYA: Squash player S. Sivasangari went down fighting to Belgium’s Nele Coll after leading 2-0 in the second round of the Hong Kong Open.
Just like her teammate Aira Azman a day earlier, Sivasangari made a great start against the Belgian world No. 9 but could not sustain her performance and lost 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 5-11, 7-11 in an energy sapping 70-minute match at the Hong Kong Squash Center yesterday.
Coll, who slipped two rungs down from No. 7 in the latest world rankings, again needed time to find her rhythm but once she found it, world No. 10 Sivasangari found it hard to prevent her from winning.
The Belgian will next take on either American Olivia Weaver or England’s Sarah-Jane Perry for a place in the last four.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s challenge came to an end in the tournament after Sivasangari’s defeat.
A day earlier, Coll’s husband, world No. 4 Paul beat Malaysia’s sole representative in the men’s event Ng Eain Yow 11-2, 11-9, 11-6.
World No. 13 and Ace Malaysia Cup champion Eain Yow fought hard especially in the second game but the New Zealand man proved too good.
Sivasangari and Eain Yow will not have too much time to dwell on their respective defeats as they will next be competing in the World Team Championships in the same country from Dec 9-15.
In the women’s event, Sivasangari will be joined by China Open champion Rachel Arnold, Aira and her sister Aifa.
Eain Yow will team up with Addeen Idrakie, Sanjay Jeeva and Syafiq Kamal in the men’s event.
