Aira Azman claims first title of the year at Bermuda Open
PETALING JAYA: National squash player Aira Azman lived up to her top seed status by capturing her first title of the year at the Bermuda Open on Saturday (April 3).
It was a short affair for 20-year-old Aira to win the Copper-level event as she defeated second seed Hana Moataz of Egypt 12-10, 11-3, 11-6 in just 27 minutes in Devonshire.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
20 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Medvedev outlasts Zverev to reach Halle final
(Reuters) -Daniil Medvedev reached his first ATP Tour final for 15 months as he outlasted Germany's world number three Alexander Zverev 7-6(3) 6-7(1) 6-4 at the Halle Open on Saturday. The Russian former world number one could have spared himself some overtime had he not let three match points slip in the second set, but he eventually got the job done in just under three hours. "I am happy with my level, I played great," Medvedev said. "I would have loved to finish on the match points (in the second set). The first one I went for it and missed it. The second one I went a bit slower to wait for a mistake and he made a great point. I am happy to win in the end." Medvedev, who now has a 13-7 career record against Zverev, will play either Alexander Bublik or Karen Khachanov in Sunday's final where he will seek his 21st Tour-level title. He needed treatment for a nosebleed at 4-4 in an intense first set but was gifted the first-set tiebreaker as Zverev offered up a clutch of unforced errors. Zverev was broken at the start of the second set but clawed his way back and then saved three match points when serving at 5-6 before holding serve in an extended 12th game to set up a tiebreak in which he played some precise tennis. Medvedev quickly regrouped though and was the dominant player in the decider. Whatever the outcome of the final, he will return to the world's top 10 on Monday. (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Tennis-Boulter hat-trick bid ends in Nottingham
NOTTINGHAM (Reuters) -Katie Boulter's bid for a hat-trick of Nottingham titles came to an end as the Briton was beaten 6-3 3-6 6-4 by American McCartney Kessler at the WTA 250 event on Friday. Eighth seed Boulter secured a service break early in the deciding set but Kessler stormed back to reach the semi-finals. Boulter became Britain's number one when winning the Nottingham title in 2023 and held it until being knocked off top spot by Emma Raducanu this week. Kessler only recorded her first main draw Tour-level win on grass last week at Queen's but is now eyeing a title on the surface. She will face either Slovak Rebecca Sramkova or Czech Linda Noskova in the semi-final. Saturday's other semi-final will feature Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska and Poland's Magda Linette. Yastremska beat Canada's fifth seed Leylah Fernandez 6-3 7-6(6), while Linette beat Clara Tauson 6-2 7-5 to reach a career-first semi-final on grass. (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Aira crashes out but sister Aifa reaches semis in style at Asian meet
PETALING JAYA: It was a day of contrasting fortunes for the Azman siblings Aira and Aifa in the Asian Championships. Second seed Aira was shocked by teammate and sixth seed Yee Xin Ying when the latter made it to the semi-finals after scoring a sensational 11-6, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8 upset win at the Sarawak Squash Centre in Kuching on Thursday (June 19). Xin Ying will face Hong Kong's Ho Tze Lok, who ended the run of Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi with a 11-4, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5 win. Aifa, however, was in her element when she dumped third-fourth seed Lee Ka Yi of Hong Kong 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 in the quarter-finals. Aifa will face top seed Rachel Arnold, who fought hard to beat Hong Kong's Tong Tsz Wing 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 in another last eight match. It was sweet revenge for Rachel, who came close to becoming Asian champion in 2021 but was denied by Tsz Wing in the final in Pakistan. Said Rachel: "I'm feeling confident, but I still have to stay sharp in order to win the championship." "I got close to winning in 2021, so I'm really hoping to redeem it this time," she said. Malaysia's campaign in the men's department came to an end yesterday after both Joachim Chuah and C. Ameeshenraj lost their quarter-final matches. QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS (Malaysians unless stated) Men: S. Velavan (Ind) bt Joachin Chuah 11-7, 11-6, 11-6; Abdulla Al-Tamimi (Qat) bt C. Ameeshenraj 11-7, 11-9, 11-3; Lau Tsz Kwan (Hkg) bt Wong Chi Him (Hkg) 11-5, 11-5, 11-6; Henry Leung (Hkg) bt Nasri Iqbal (Pak) 11-7, 7-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7. Women: Rachel Arnold bt Tong Tsz Wing (Hkg) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8; Aifa Azman bt Lee Ka Yi (Hkg) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4; Yee Xin Ying bt Aira Azman 11-6, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8; Ho Tze Lok (Hkg) bt Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi 11-4, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5.
