Sivasangari off to a winning start, but braces for potential Orfi showdown in q-finals

PETALING JAYA: S. Sivasangari (pic) made a comfortable start to her US Open campaign but faces a potentially tougher route to the semi-finals, with a possible quarter-final showdown against world No. 1 Amina Orfi looming.

World No. 4 Sivasangari entered the second round of the platinum-level tournament after dispatching countrymate Aifa Azman with relative ease with an 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 in 22 minutes at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia on Sunday.

Sivasangari has beaten Aifa in all eight previous meetings now.

The pair recently met at the Silicon Valley Open second round, where Sivasangari got past Aifa in five sets en route to clinching the title last month. Sivasangari has now matched her result from last year’s edition of the platinum-level tournament, where she made the second round before losing to Egypt’s Sana Ibrahim.

The fifth seed will next face Egypt’s Kenzy Ayman, with victory potentially setting up a quarter-final meeting with top seed Orfi.

Sivasangari fell to Orfi in their most recent meeting at the London Squash Classic in September, but got the better of the 19-year-old at the PSA Squash Tour Finals semi-final in June.

Orfi holds the upper hand in their head-to-head record with eight wins from 11 meetings and arrives in Philadelphia on the back of titles at the London Classic, Qatar Classic and Egyptian Open.

Top seed Orfi defeated Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold in the opening round, winning 11-6, 11-9, 11-6, and will take on compatriot Hana Moataz in the second round.

Orfi has now beaten Rachel in all five previous encounters.

Meanwhile, Ng Eain Yow kept his campaign alive in the men’s category after he beat Spain’s Bernat Jaume 13-11, 11-4, 11-3.

World No. 17 Eain Yow will now face world No. 3 Peruvian Diego Elias in the second round, an opponent he is yet to beat on tour after falling twice in the past.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

(Malaysians only)

Men: Ng Eain Yow bt Bernat Jaume (Esp) 13-11, 11-4, 11-3.

Women: S. Sivasangari bt Aifa Azman 11-2, 11-4, 11-6; Amina Orfi (Egy) bt Rachel Arnold 11-6, 11-9, 11-6.