Liu Takes Out Tong For Malaysian Tour Title by Howard Harding March 27, 2015
- Whilst today's all-Hong Kong final of the Women's Malaysian Squash
Tour Leg 1 was predicted, Liu Tsz-Ling's title triumph was not - as the
second seed overpowered favourite Tong Tsz-Wing to win the WSA
Challenger 5 event at the Royal Sri Menanti Golf & Country Club in
Seremban, Malaysia.
Liu celebrated her 10th final appearance on the WSA World Tour after
despatching home hope Vanessa Raj, the No.4 seed, in straight games in
the semi-finals.
The other semi saw Tong tackle her second successive fellow country
woman in the event, where the world No.49 needed four games to get the
better of unseeded Vanessa Chu.
The win, in Tong's first Tour appearance of the year, took the 22-year-old into the seventh Tour final of her career.
Despite the eight-place rankings difference, Liu struck out for victory
in the final from the outset - taking just 31 minutes to close out the
match 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 to win the sixth title of her career.
"I played so well today to beat Tong in three games," said world No.57
Liu (pictured above with runner-up Tong) after her surprise win. "I
hope that I will play way better next time in my next tournament."
The title triumph marks Liu's first Tour success since winning the
inaugural Asian Beach Games gold medal in November last year - and also
marks her third successive Tour title success in Malaysia.
RESULTS: Women's Malaysian Squash Tour Leg 1, Seremban, Malaysia
1st round:
[1] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [Q] Andrea Lee (MAS) 11-9, 11-3, 11-4
[Q] Lee Ka Yi (HKG) bt [5] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 11-5, 11-9, 11-8
Zoe Foo (MAS) bt [3] Lotte Eriksen (NOR) 9-11, 5-11, 12-10 ret.
Vanessa Chu (HKG) bt [8] Teh Min Jie (MAS) 11-7, 11-1, 12-14, 17-15
[7] Zulhijjah Binti Azan (MAS) bt [Q] Aika Azman (MAS) 2-11, 11-3, 11-4, 13-11
[4] Vanessa Raj (MAS) bt Sivasangari Subramanian (MAS) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
[6] Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 11-9, 15-17, 11-13, 12-10, 11-3
[2] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [Q] Carmen Lee (HKG) 11-2, 14-16, 11-6, 11-7
Quarter-finals:
[1] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [Q] Lee Ka Yi (HKG) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6
Vanessa Chu (HKG) bt Zoe Foo (MAS) 4-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-8, 11-8
[4] Vanessa Raj (MAS) bt [7] Zulhijjah Binti Azan (MAS) 11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4
[2] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [6] Rachel Arnold (MAS) 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4
Semi-finals:
[1] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt Vanessa Chu (HKG) 12-14, 11-3, 11-7, 11-3
[2] Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) bt [4] Vanessa Raj (MAS) 11-5, 11-5, 11-5
