Ainaa on track to cap a double in SEA Cup with partner Sai Hung

PETALING JAYA: Squash player Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi is out to wrap up her SEA Cup campaign with a double victory.

Yesterday, Ainaa and her mixed doubles partner Ong Sai Hung reached the final after beating Singapore’s Timothy Leong-Vicky Lai 11-3, 11-7 in the semi-finals in Manila.

They will face Van-Aero Dalida-Yvonne Alyssa Dalida of the Philippines in the final today.

The second seeded Philippines pair defeated compatriots Carl Carillo-Lizette Reyes 11-3, 11-4 in the last four.

On Wednesday, Ainaa had beaten her close friend Chan Yiwen in the individual event.

It was her second individual title in the tournament after winning the 2019 edition as well.

Ainaa has had good success in the doubles where she and Yiwen made heads turn when they reached the semi-finals in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games before losing to compatriots Rachel Arnold-Aifa Azman in the bronze medal playoff.

She also partnered Addeen Idrakie in the mixed doubles in Birmingham where they lost in the second round.

Addeen-Ainaa also played in the Asian mixed doubles championships, a test event for the Hangzhou Asian Games, last year where they reached the last eight.

The experience is likely to help Ainaa and Sai Hung to land their first mixed doubles gold on the international stage.

“I’m looking forward to winning the mixed doubles gold this time with Sai Hung,” she said.

“This is the first time I’m partnering Sai Hung but I have played a couple of international mixed doubles events and that should help.”