Andrea nails first pro title in HK

Andrea Lee (left) and national junior coach Andrew Cross after winning the Contrex Challenge Cup in Hong Kong

PETALING JAYA: It took youngster Andrea Lee just one try to bag her first Professional Squash Asso­cia­tion (PSA) Tour title.

Competing in her first PSA final, the 17-year-old Andrea downed top seed and home favourite Lee Ka Yi 12-10, 13-11, 11-5 to win the Contrex Challenge Cup in Hong Kong on Saturday. She took home US$900 (RM3,600).

It was also sweet revenge for world No. 131 Andrea as she was beaten in four sets by world No. 56 Ka Yi in the first round of last month’s Penang Open.

Andrea is the third Malaysian youngster to break the title duck on the PSA Tour this season. Sixteen-year-old S. Sivasangari was a winner of three women’s titles in April and Ng Eain Yow, the country’s top junior, also bagged his first crown in April.

“I played really well today. I kept the ball tight and let her commit the mistakes,” said Andrea.

“After losing a close match to her in Penang, it feels great to beat her in straight sets this time. It’s a tremendous feeling to pick up my first PSA title.

“This win is a good confidence boost for me ahead of my next two events - the Sukma (Malaysia Games from July 17-31) and the World Junior Championships in Poland (Aug 6-17).”

Andrea, who represents the Federal Territories (FT), is the favourite to bag the Sukma individual gold.

The reigning Asian Junior Under-19 champion will, however, have a tougher challenge at the world juniors.

Andrea is seeded joint fifth-eight and tipped to meet top seed and world No. 5 Nouran Gohar of Egypt in the quarter-finals.