Whitney springs a surprise in Kuching
KUCHING: Malaysia's Whitney Isabelle Wilson pulled off an upset after coming back from a game down to stun India's world No. 69 and ninth seed Akanksha Salunkhe in the Asian Squash Championships in Kuching today.
Whitney recorded a 5-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-3, 11-8 win at the Sarawak Squash Centre to seal a place in the second round.
World No. 222 Whitney will face third seed Ho Tze Lok of Hong Kong for a place in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Whitney, 17, who is from Sarawak, said this is her first Asian event, and she is happy to upset Akanksha, who is ranked much higher.
"I expect a strong challenge against the more experienced and higher ranked Tze Lok, who is ranked 29 in the world," she said.
Top seed Rachel Arnold made short work of Taiwan's Lee Yi Hsuan 11-5, 11-6, 11-4, and will next face Japan's Risa Sugimoto. Sugimoto beat Sri Lanka's Chanithma Sinaly 11-5, 11-1, 11-5.
Second seed Aira Azman also reached the second round with an 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 win over China's Yin Ziyuan, and will take on South Korea's Ryoo Boram who got a walkover from Singapore's Cassandra Ong.
Aira's elder sister, Aifa, also marched into the second round after an easy 11-7, 11-0, 11-2 win over Sri Lankan Yeheni Vonara Kuruppu.
Fifth seed Aifa will take on ninth Chan Sin Yuk of Hong Kong next.
Ainaa Amani Ampandi downed Eum Hwa Yeong 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 in the first round, and will face Japan's ninth seed Akari Midorikawa, who beat India's Shameena Riaz 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9.
In the men's category, second seed Lau Tsz Kwan of Hong Kong beat India's Diwakar Singh 11-2, 11-1, 11-3. Malaysian fifth seed Sanjay Jeeva beat South Korean Lee Min Woo 11-5, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5 to set up a date with ninth seed Wong Chi Him of Hong Kong who beat India's Rahul Baitha 11-7, 11-9, 11-5.
Another Malaysian, Joachim Chuah, also progressed to the second round to meet Pakistan's Noor Zaman. Joachim beat Philippines' Reymark Begornia 11-2,11-4, 11-5, while Noor Zaman beat Singapore's Aaron Jon Widjaja 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3.
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