PETALING JAYA: Defeat in the Madeira Island International final was a bitter pill to swallow for Chan Yiwen (pictured left).
She was hoping to end her title drought this year on Sunday, but she lost 6-11, 9-11, 11-6, 3-11 to Egyptian Rana Ismail, ranked 77th in the world, in a match that lasted 31 minutes in Portugal.
It was her second defeat in the final after the Malaysian lost in five sets to India’s Tanvi Khanna at the North Coast Open in Coffs Harbor in Australia in August.
Yiwen, ranked 75th in the world, played in the Tunku Muhriz Cup in Seremban in August where she lost to eventual champion S. Sivasangari in the quarter-finals.
The Madeira Island International was her first Professional Squash Association (PSA) competition event in the past three months.
Yiwen was out of tournaments after the Irish Open in April due to a decline in form and minor injuries.
She also missed the World Open in Chicago in May after losing in the qualifying tournament in Birmingham held a week before the Irish Open.
He added: “It was difficult to accept the defeat (the final defeat). “I had a lot of setbacks this year and was struggling to put in some consistent performances,” Yuen said dejectedly.
“I haven’t played in tournaments for a long time and I was trying to find the ‘feel’ of a tournament and get it on the court again.
The 22-year-old will head to Islamabad to compete in the CAS International Challenge from November 30 to December 4.
She said: “I need to gather my strength in preparation for the tournament that will be held in Pakistan next week, and I hope to finish it with a good result.”
Yuen, the top seed, was eliminated in the first round and will meet either Saima Shaukat or Rushna Mehboob, both from Pakistan, in the second round.
Egypt’s Nour Khafaji, ranked 119th in the world, is seeded second, and if Yiwin regains her composure, she should be able to secure her first title of the year in Islamabad.
last
Men: Mostafa Al-Sarti (Egypt) defeated Rui Soares (Portugal) 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9.
Women: Rana Ismail (Egypt) over Chan Yuen (Mas) 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-3.
