PETALING JAYA: National squash player S. Sivasangari got her revenge against Tinne Gillis when she stormed into the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Gaynor Open.
The world No. 26 showed true grit by upstaging her higher-ranked opponent Gillis of Belgium 12-10, 11-2, 11-8 in the quarter-finals at the Cincinnati Country Club on Friday.
The win was special as Sivasangari had lost (11-8, 2-11, 8-11, 8-11) to the world No. 23 in the quarter-finals of the DAC Pro Squash Classic last October.
She fought hard in the first set to prevail with a 12-10 win but was unstoppable in the second when she raced away with 11-2. She did not give any room for the world No. 23 to make a comeback when she wrapped up the match with a 11-8 win in the third set.Sivasangari will face world No. 11 and fifth seeded American Olivia Fiechter and stays positive of her chances.
“I felt really good on the court again. It’s a nice feeling to win after losing to her the last time.
“Everything I did on the court was top notch,” said Sivasangari, who is studying and playing squash in New York.
“I do feel like I’m really up there with the top girls, and these few wins have increased my level of confidence.”
She has not dropped a single set in the tournament so far, and promises to be ready for the next big match against Fiechter, who was on fire in her quarter-finals match when she pulled of an upset win against compatriot and second seed Amanda Sobhy. “I’ll be facing Olivia for the first time. She has been playing well these past few tournaments. It’s will be tough match for sure,” she said.
“My teammate Rachel (Arnold) has given me some tips as she lost to Olivia in the second round here.
“I just hope to play really well. I’ll go in with a positive mindset but will not put too much pressure on myself. Just do like how I’ve been doing these past few days.
“I just want to enjoy the match.” S. Sivasangari (Mas) bt Tinne Gillis (Bel) 12-10, 11-2, 11-8; Olivia Fiechter (US) bt Amanda Sobhy (US) 11-1, 6-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5; Georgina Kennedy (Eng) bt Olivia Clyne (US) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4; Nouran Gahar (Egy) bt Nele Gillis (Bel) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5.