Back to you: Sabah’s Yee Xin Ying (front) in action against Kedah’s Aira Azman during the semi-final match. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE / The Star
HAPPY belly, play steady.
National squash player Yee Xin Ying satisfied her cravings before hitting the court and it has positively impacted her performance in the Malaysia Games (Sukma).
Yesterday, Xin Ying of Sabah stormed into the final after stunning two-time national champion Aira Azman from Kedah 4-11, 11-5, 12-10, 3-11, 11-9 in an energy-sapping 43-minute semi-finals match at the Sarawak Squash Centre in Petra Jaya.
It was not only an exhausting match, but it was also physically brutal for Xin Ying, who tripped several times and sustained a minor injury to her left elbow during the deciding set.
Xin Ying, who is currently pursuing her tertiary education in Cornell University, United States believes that one of her secret weapons for a good performance was having her fair share of nasi lemak and ‘wat tan hor’ (noodles).
“I missed nasi lemak and wat tan hor so much that I had a lot after arriving in Malaysia,” said Xin Ying.
“Satisfying my craving definitely helped me perform better in matches.”
Xin Ying was overjoyed with her overall performance as she has just returned to competitive action after an eight-month hiatus.
“I’m really happy and grateful with my performance and how I moved on the court because this is just my third tournament after the injury,” said Xin Ying.
“I ruptured my Achilles tendon last November and underwent surgery, so it has been a really hard journey for me to come back.
“Beating Aira is definitely a motivation and sweet revenge for me because she is the two-time national champion, and I lost to her in the quarter-finals two weeks ago.
“Being left-handed, the injury to my elbow restricted my movement and kind of affected my performance, but I’m still happy with how I played.”
In today’s final, Xin Ying will be facing her good friend, K. Sehveetrraa, who fought hard to beat Negri Sembilan’s J. Yasshmita 12-10, 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9 in another last four match.
Xin Ying hopes to reproduce the form that helped her defeat Sehveetrraa en route to winning the 6k Ace Challenger title in Terengganu last month.
“I’m happy with Sehveetrraa’s victory today (yesterday) and I’m looking forward to play her tomorrow (today),” said Xin Ying.
“We will give everything we have, and regardless of the results, we are still friends off the court.
“We played in Terengganu last month, and I won 3-0 ... hopefully, I will win again this time.
“However, the pressure is on me because she is the underdog, considering the outcome of our previous encounter.”
