BUKIT JALIL, July 21 — Quality is undeniable and today Low Wee Wern proved she’s still a force to be reckoned with when she bested the hottest player in Malaysia S. Sivasangari in straight sets 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 in the semifinals of the Malaysian Open Squash Championships at the Bukit Jalil squash stadium.
Sivasangari, the defending champion, was recently crowned the youngest national champion when she beat Wee Wern 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7 in the finals last week.
It was Wee Wern’s first competitive match after 20 months out due to multiple surgeries on her left knee, which left the Penangite’s dream of playing at the Asian Games next month go up in tatters.
A fighter by nature, Wee Wern worked hard with her coach Aaron Soyza and in a remarkable turnaround showed everyone her world No 5 ranking before the injury hit was no fluke.
“Unfortunately the timing of my win isn’t great as the selection for the Asian Games was based on the nationals,” said Wee Wern.
“I needed matches leading up to the nationals but wasn’t allowed to compete prior to it which was disappointing. At least I’m getting my PSA career back so that’s great.”
Wee Wern has seen her ranking drop to 254 and making the cut for future competitions will be hard as the Professional Squash Association (PSA) is doing away with qualifiers starting August.
Despite that the tenacity the 27-year-old has shown by reaching the finals is a mark of a true champion.
In tomorrow’s finals she faces either Omneya Abdel Kawi or Satomi Watanabe who are scheduled to play later this evening.
“Parts of how I used to play are coming back to me. I feel more confident on court and I feel a bit more comfortable on court,” said Wee Wern.
“If I play Omneya, she’s one of the best shotmakers in the game while Satomi’s one of the best movers on court. It’ll be a nice match to watch and I hope they play for a long time,” she added.
