Introducing Genesis Global Capital, the Proud Sponsor of the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy 2022!
The Tuanku Muhriz Trophy 2022 will be remembered as an event where seeds tumbled and what a befitting finale it was today when local darling Aira Azmanscored her maiden PSA title with a Challenger 10 and India’s Abhay Singh claiming his second title. Both players were involved in mammoth tussles today, with the final games being decided on tie-breaks and equally impressive victory shouts at the end.
Having won the Asian Junior Individual Championships main event, the Girls Under-19, just a week ago, the 17-year old native of Kedah came into the event beaming with confidence. The manner which she manoeuvred through the rounds has been nothing short of impressive.
Her opponent today, Salma Eltayeb is herself a young prodigy known in the squash community. Seeded second here thanks to her top-80 world ranking, it was Salma who drew first blood by taking the opener 11-8. But Aira came back strongly in the next two games to take the lead, before taking the fourth on the first tie-break after saving two game balls.
The win was definitely an emotional one for the Malaysian, as upon victory, she dropped her head to her knees three times. It was a befitting final that pitted two of the sport’s brightest stars. With the World Juniors just weeks away, it won’t be surprising if the pair locked horns again there.
After Aira’s victory, many would have hoped for a Malaysian double at this point. However, that was not meant to be as India’s Abhay Singh wrapped up his week on a high with a five-game victory over second seed Ivan Yuen.
The first game proved crucial and Ivan would be fuming, as he let slip two game balls to allow Abhay to take the lead. He did take the next game with relative ease to even the score, and the following two games were split equally to force the decider.
With the games two each, both the boys gave it their all in the fifth and deciding game. Unsurprisingly, it went to the wire, with the Indian taking it 13-11 after Ivan sent a forehand into the tin. Abhay’s racket went into the air and after the handshake, dropped to his knees in celebration the Asal-way.
