Thanusaa Uthrian (Mas) 3-1 [5] Sehveetrraa Kumar (Mas) 8-11, 11-8, 11-4 rtd (30m
[1] Yee Xian Siow (Mas) 3-0 [6] Wa Sern Low (Mas) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6 (37m)
Finals Day : Xian and Uthrian deliver Malaysian double
Siow Yee Xian made it two for two when he followed up his PSNS President’s Trophy Challenger 6 title with another today – the UTU Singapore Challenger 6. The 25-year-old Malaysian from the state of Malacca halted youngster Low Wa Sern, 20, in straight games to complete the event without dropping a game.
Siow, who recently graduated from Yale, has been in superb form all week. While he may not be the hardest hitter or the best shot-maker, what set him apart all week was how few unforced errors he hit and how hard he worked his opponents around the court.
Earlier, Thanusaa Uthrian completed her giant-killing spree with four upsets in a row. Uthrian, was leading 8-11, 11-8, 11-4 against Sehveetrraa Kumar before the fifth seed retired. The ankle injury from the day before seemed to have flared up again, thus handing the joint-ninth seed Uthrian her biggest PSA Tour title, bettering the pair of Challenger 3 events she won this year in March and June.
Uthrian who also hails from Malacca like men’s champion Siow, did not have such a smooth sailing path to the final like her male counterpart. Prior to today, she was tested with back-to-back five-setters in the last eight and four.
Semis : Finalists decided in Singapore
Top seed Siow Yee Xian continues to dominate the men’s event of the UTU Singapore Challenger when he won his last four encounter against 18-year-old Nickhileswar Moganasundharam in convincing fashion, dropping just 11 points in total. The pair had just contested in the Challenger 6 PSNS Trophy final two weeks ago which Siow also won, albeit with. Closser score of 3-1.
Siow, the 25-year-old graduate of Yale, will be gunning for his second successive Challenger 6 title tomorrow, where he will face 19-year-old Low Wa Sern. In the semi-finals today, Low produced a mammoth comeback from 0-2, both lost in tie-breaks, to edge fellow Malaysian Muhd Hafiz Harif 14-16, 12-14, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 in 73 minutes.
In the women’s event, Thanusaa Uthrian followed up her two upsets in the previous rounds with her biggest scalp this afternoon, taking out event top seed Harleein Tan. Uthrian twice came back from 0-1 and 1-2 down, before taking the last two games to deny the 16-year-old a place in the final tomorrow.
Tan’s fellow World Juniors bound teammate Whitney Wilson had no such luck either. Having taken out fourth seed Jemyca Aribado in the last eight, she found the hard-hitting of Sehveetrraa Kumar too much to handle. There was a scare in the third game for Kumar when she seemed to have sprained her ankle at 9-7, where she took a 3-minute injury break. She managed to hang in there to win the game when she returned, before staying in control in the fourth to book her spot in the final.
Quarters : Malaysians dominate on Day Three
Malaysian youngsters dominated day three of the UTU Singapore Challenger 6 to setup an all-Malaysian semis in both the men’s and women’s event.
Youngsters Low Wa Sern and Muhd Hafiz Harif ended local challenge after they took out second and third seeds Jerome Aw and Aaron Liang. The Malaysian pair will now play each other to book their spot in the final, where they face either top seed Siow Yee Xian or Nickhileswar Moganasundharam.
Siow, a winner of three Challenger events in the last three months, was impressive in beating compatriot Harth Danial in straight games. Moganasundharam, meanwhile, fresh from disposing the fourth seed the previous day, continued his good run with a win over another Malaysian, Altamis Aqhar Sallam.
In the women’s event. Top seed Harleein Tan led the way for the Malaysians, taking out Korea’s Eum Hwayeong in four. She will remain the only top four seeded player when seeds 2-4 all fell to her Malaysian teammates. Sehveetrraa Kumar ousted USA’s top junior and second seed Isabella Tang in four games, while Thanusaa Uthrian edged Hong Kong China’s third seed Bobo Lam in five games. Whitney Wilson completed the Malaysian onslaught by coming from a game behind to beat Philippines’ Jemyca Aribado.
Day Two : Quartet of Malaysian upset the seedings
A quartet of Malaysians upset the seedings on day two of the UTU Singapore Challenger 6 to book their places in the last eight.
Thanusaa Uthrian and Altamis Haji Suffian both took out fellow countrymen in contrasting styles. Uthrian got the ball rolling with a convincing straight games victory over eight seeded compatriot Yujie Chen before Altamis got the better of seventh seed Jun Qian Tay in four.
Whitney Wilson then came back from a game down to stun Hong Kong China’s sixth seeded Sze Wing Wai, before Nickhileswar Moganasundahram edged Philipines’ top man Reymark Begornia in four games over 54 minutes, the longest match of the day.
Hosts Singapore’s campaign in the women’s event came to an end after Naisha Singh and Au Yeong Wai Iynn both crashed out in straight games to their American and Korean opponents.
The nation’s hopes now rest with their two top men – Jerome Aw and Aaron Liang. Aw played the shortest match of the day, seeing off wildcard compatriot Justin Yap. Liang meanwhile, took more effort as Malaysia’s Aqil Mirza stretched their match to four games.
Malaysia is assured of a finalist in the men’s event with the top half featuring four Malaysians. In the bottom half, if matches go to seeding, Singapore could well be assured of a finalist too.
Top seeded teenagers Harleein Tan and Isabelle Tang look set to be tested tomorrow after both enjoyed rather comfortable matches today.
Day One : Trio of Wildcards advance at Kallang SC
Three of Singapore’s four wildcards, Rehaan Singh, Regan Tan and Justin Yap gatecrashed into the last 16 after scoring wins against their more illustrious opponents in the opening day of the UTU Singapore Challenger 6 at the Kallang Squash Centre.
Singh, the National Junior Champion led the assault when he took out Philippines number 2 David Pelino in five games in over an hour. The teenager was confident throughout and outlasted Pelino, who was near cramping towards the last few points of the deciding game.
Tan followed up with a convincing 3-0 win over Malaysia-based Egyptian Yassin Tamer in a one-sided affair that lasted 24 minutes, before Yap took out compatriot Ethan Kuan in straight games in just over half an hour. Samuel Lau, the fourth wildcard, couldn’t make it 100% but put up a good account against seasoned campaigner Hi Jia Rong of Malaysia, losing out 1-3.
Filipino Jonathan Reyes, Malaysia’s Aqil Mirza Naim, Altamis Hj Suffian and Nickileswar Mogasundharam all won to complete the round of 16 draw.
In the women’s event, things were more in order with wildcard Naisha Singh producing the only upset of the afternoon. The younger twin of Rehaan beat Thailand’s top woman Anantana Prasertratanakul in just 16 minutes to advance.
Match of the day in the women’s event belonged to Haneesha Veerakumar of Malaysa, who saved three match balls in the fourth at 7-10, before edging Indonesia’s Raifa Yattaqi in just under 50 minutes. Her win sets her up against childhood friend and top seed Harleein Tan.
