Exams deny Sivasangari chance to play against Nicol

PETALING JAYA: Youngster S. Sivasangari is disappointed at missing the chance to take on eight-time world champion Nicol David in a competitive match.

The 18-year-old Sivasangari, who is the national No. 4, won’t be competing in the Ohana National Squash Championships, which starts at the NSC Squash Centre in Jalan Duta today, due to her final year examinations.

The world No. 60, who’s studying at Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ) in Mantin, Negri Sembilan, has two more papers to go.

“Its unfortunate that I can’t compete in this year’s national meet because I’m still busy with my exams, which will only end on June 1,” said Sivasangari, who made the semi-finals last year.

“It would have been nice to play as Nicol is back after a while. I did think about taking a break between studies to give it a go. But I’ve got two more papers left, so it’s better that I just focus on them and finish my exams first.”

Without Sivasangari, it will be down to the likes of Rachel Arnold and Andrea Lee to challenge Nicol.

The Penangite, who has missed the last three years of the national meet, is the red-hot favourite to bag her fourth national title.

She has a first round bye and faces either Aika Azman or Chan Yiwen in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

World No. 92 Andrea, who is the joint third-fourth seed, is expected to meet Nicol in the semi-finals.

In the men’s event, national No. 1 Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan is the top seed and favourite to clinch his third national crown.

He meets Ng Jo Wen in the first round and probably former champion and national coach Ong Beng Hee in the quarter-finals.

National No. 2 Ivan Yuen and youngsters Mohd Syafiq Kamal and Ng Eain Yow are the other challengers for the men’s title.