KUCHING: National squash star Aifa Azman stormed into the semi-finals of the 2025 Asian Individual Squash Championships with an emphatic straight-game victory over Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yi, winning 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 yesterday (Jun 19).
Her win sets up an all-Malaysian semi-final clash against top national seed Rachel Arnold, with a place in the prestigious final on the line.
In another quarter-final, Malaysia’s Yee Xin Ying delivered a gritty performance to defeat Aira Azman in a closely contested four-game match, edging through 11-6, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8 in just under an hour.
With these results, three Malaysian women — Rachel, Aifa, and Yee — have advanced to the semi-finals, underlining Malaysia’s dominance in the women’s division at the 23rd Asian Individual Squash Championships.
Earlier in the day, the 29-year-old Rachel Arnold eased past Hong Kong’s Tong Tsz Wing with a clinical 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 win, wrapping up her quarter-final in just 26 minutes at the Sarawak Squash Centre in Petra Jaya.
However, it was heartbreak for fellow national player Aina Amani, who was forced to bow out of the tournament after sustaining a right wrist injury during the first set of her quarter-final clash against Hong Kong’s Hong Tze Lok.
The 23-year-old fought valiantly but ultimately fell in a gruelling five-set battle, with the final score reading 11-4, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5.
The intense, hour-long contest took place at the same venue earlier.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s men’s challenge ended in disappointment, with both representatives exiting in the quarter-finals.
Ameeshenraj Chandaran was defeated by Qatar’s Abdulla Al-Tamimi in straight games, 11-7, 11-9, 11-3, while Joachim Chuah was unable to overcome India’s Velavan Senthilkumar, who triumphed 11-7, 11-6, 11-6.
Rachel and Aifa will now face off in a highly anticipated all-Malaysian semi-final showdown today.
