Top seed Rachel Arnold battles into Asian Championships final
KUALA LUMPUR: Top seed Rachel Arnold is just one step away from clinching her first Asian Championships women's title after a hard-fought win in the semi-finals in Kuching on Friday.
The 29-year-old, who captured the China Open last year, overcame a spirited challenge from compatriot and fifth seed Aifa Azman, winning 11-9, 11-2, 8-11, 9-11, 12-10 in a 56-minute battle at the Sarawak Squash Centre.
World No 19 Rachel will take on Hong Kong's world No 29 Ho Tze Lok in Saturday's final.
Tze Lok reached the final by defeating Malaysia's world No. 59 Yee Xin Ying 11-9, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6 in 45 minutes.
Rachel was a runner-up in 2021 in Islamabad, losing to Hong Kong's Tong Tsz Wing.
However, she holds a psychological edge going into the final, having beaten Tze Lok in both their previous PSA Tour meetings in 2016.
The top seed admitted that Aifa had pushed her to the limit in the semi-final.
"Aifa gave me a real scare," said Rachel.
"But I thought I did well to hang on and fend off her fightback to reach the final again.
It's never easy to face a teammate in a tournament, and I'm just glad I came through."
Rachel is hoping to become the first Malaysian woman to win the Asian crown since Nicol David in 2015 and is feeling confident about her chances.
"I'll definitely need to be sharp in the final. I have confidence in my game," she said.
"I just need to stay calm and play my game against Tze Lok."
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