Latest news with #AiraAzman
New Straits Times
12-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Coach backs Aira to crack squash's top 20
KUALA LUMPUR: Two-time national champion Aira Azman has set her sights on cracking the top 20 in the women's PSA Tour rankings. The 21-year-old has made steady progress this season, climbing from world No. 36 last August to a career-high No. 26 after winning the Bermuda Open in May. She currently sits at No. 27. Aira also claimed the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy in Seremban last September and bagged a bronze medal at the inaugural Under-23 World Championship in Karachi in April. She is now Malaysia's third-highest ranked player behind S. Sivasangari (No. 8) and Rachel Arnold (No. 19). National coach Ajaz Azmat is happy with Aira's progress. "She is still young and hardworking. I believe she can break into the top 20 by next year."
Free Malaysia Today
02-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Sivasangari cruises into 3rd round of 2025 British Open
National women's squash champion S Sivasangari will meet Japanese player Satomi Watanabe in the third round of the 2025 British Open. (Facebook pic) KUALA LUMPUR : National women's squash champion S Sivasangari advanced to the third round of the 2025 British Open in Birmingham today. In the second-round match at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the world No 8 player needed just 45 minutes to record a 12-10, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 victory over India's Ahanat Singh. Awaiting Sivasangari in the third round is the tournament's seventh seed from Japan, Satomi Watanabe, who also advanced after defeating France's Melissa Alves 11-8, 11-5, 11-1. Earlier, Sivasangari became the sole Malaysian female representative still continuing the challenge in the tournament after Aira Azman and Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi were eliminated early. National men's squash champion Ng Eain Yow also suffered a surprising defeat to an unseeded opponent in the second round earlier this morning.
The Star
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Falling in love again
PETALING JAYA: National player Aira Azman got just the right boost of confidence ahead of the World Championships next week after capturing her fourth Professional Squash Association (PSA) title at the Bermuda Open on Saturday. The 20-year-old lived up to her top seed status by taking the Copper-level title after defeating second seed Hana Moataz of Egypt 12-10, 11-3, 11-6 in just 27 minutes in Devonshire.
New Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Aira climbs to career-best No. 26 after Bermuda Open triumph
KUALA LUMPUR: Two-time national champion Aira Azman reached a career-high world ranking of No. 26 in the latest PSA Tour standings released on Monday. The 21-year-old climbed four spots after capturing her fourth PSA title at the Bermuda Open on Saturday. The win comes at a perfect time as Aira gears up for her third appearance at the World Championships, which begin Friday in Chicago. Her sister, Aifa, also saw an improvement in the rankings — moving up from No. 42 to No. 38 — after reaching the semi-finals in Bermuda. Meanwhile, Asian champion S. Sivasangari held firm at No. 9, with Rachel Arnold staying at No. 19. Ng Eain Yow remains the country's top-ranked male player at No. 10.
New Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Confident Aira out to dazzle at World Championships
KUALA LUMPUR: Fresh from her Bermuda Open triumph, squash star Aira Azman will head into the World Championships brimming with confidence as the tournament gets underway in Chicago on Friday. The world No. 30 capped a strong showing in Devonshire by beating Egypt's Hana Moataz (world No. 38) 12-10, 11-3, 11-6 in Saturday's women's final — her fourth title on the PSA Tour. The two-time national champion is making her third appearance at the Worlds and will be hoping to surpass last year's run in Chicago, where she made the second round before falling to England's Georgina Kennedy (No. 7) after beating Wales' Lowri Roberts. This year, Aira opens her campaign against England's Torrie Malik (No. 44) in what will be their first meeting on tour. A win could set up a second-round clash with Egypt's Salma Hany (No. 12), the reigning Manchester Open champion. The 21-year-old, who claimed bronze at the U-23 World Championships in Karachi last month, is focused but measured in her ambitions. "I haven't played Torrie before, but I'm looking forward to it," said Aira, who also bagged silver at the 2023 World Juniors in Melbourne. "I've been training hard since last year for this event, and I'll be taking it one match at a time in Chicago." Aira leads a strong Malaysian charge in the women's draw, which also features S. Sivasangari (No. 9), Rachel Arnold (No. 19), Aifa Azman (No. 42) and Ainaa Amani (No. 47). In the men's category, Malaysia will be represented by Ng Eain Yow (No. 10) and Sanjay Jeeva (No. 69).
