16.7 C
New York
Saturday, October 12, 2024
pCloud Premium

Mahnoor clinches U-13 title in sibling showdown at Danish junior squash open – Sport



291520044f1f41c

Mahnoor Ali took home a bittersweet victory on Sunday when she defeated her sister Sehrish to clinch the Under-13 title at the HEAD Danish Junior Open in Denmark.

The 11-year-old dominated the final to win gold in three straight sets, thrashing Sehrish 11-3, 11-3, 11-2.

“I’m very happy because this is a major tournament, it’s a big achievement for me,” Mahnoor said in a video message shared with Dawn.com.

“Playing against my sister was a tough final. She plays really well, and we both train the same, but whoever plays better, wins,” an elated Mahnoor said.

She thanked her sponsors, the BARD (Bilquis and Abdul Razzak Dawood) Foundation, for their support. “I get to achieve this title because of them, and I hope they support me further,” she said.

Sehrish chalked up her loss to “bad luck” but said she’d train harder for next time.

In the semi-finals, Mahnoor beat Bulgaria’s Bozhana Bozhilova 11-3, 11-4, 11-0, while Sehrish stormed into the final after defeating Poland’s Hania Górecka 11-4, 16-14, 11-7.

Mahnoor had also defeated Górecka on Friday in the third round, cruising to an easy victory with 11-4, 11-2, 11-4. She remained undefeated throughout the tournament.

The squash prodigy is ranked number 1 in Asia in the U-13 category, while Sehrish is ranked number 12.

The duo’s elder sister Mehwish — ranked number 1 in Pakistan in the U-19 and open categories — won bronze in Denmark after defeating Ruby Huisman of the Netherlands 11-4, 11-7, 11-8.

Mahoor’s win at the Danish Junior Open is her sixth international title, her father confirmed to Dawn.com.

The younger Ali sisters have put up an all-Pakistan squash final previously as well.

In June, Mahnoor was crowned the Under-13 champion at the PBA 20th Penang Malaysia Junior Open. She stormed back from losing the first set to Sehrish 9-11 to win the next three games 11-7, 11-8, 11-8.

Earlier in April, Mahnoor took home the U-13 title at the Australian Junior Open, while Sehrish settled for bronze. The duo’s eldest sister, Mehwish, took home the U-17 title.

press release by the Professional Squash Association.

The Pakistan number 1 lost the first set 14-12 to defending champion Wall before going all-out to clinch the title with 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 in the next three sets.

“I didn’t expect any of this. I’ve been playing squash for the last few years – four or five years — and I was struggling a lot, not winning any matches in big tournaments like this.

“So, this is something else, something big for me. It was one of my goals and I’m very happy to achieve that, and hopefully in the future I’ll win more bigger tournaments,” the PSA press release quoted him as saying.

Khan was unseeded headed into this tournament, but is otherwise ranked 72 in the world.

On Friday, Khan cruised to the final after beating Mexico’s Cesar Salazar 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 in the semi-final.

In a post on X, he credited his family “who have supported me throughout my career in good and bad times. Pakistan zindabad.”

Khan is slated to play at the London Open in November, according to the PSA.

The Charlottesville Open, a PSA World Tour Copper event, had a total prize pool of $28,750.



Source link

Odisha Expo
Odisha Expohttps://www.odishaexpo.com
Odisha Expo is one of the Largest News Aggregator of Odisha, Stay Updated about the latest news with Odisha Expo from around the world. Stay hooked for more updates.

Related Articles

Stay Connected

0FansLike
0FollowersFollow
0SubscribersSubscribe
Best Lifetime Deals on SaaSspot_img

Latest Articles

Zverev scrapes through, Djokovic cruises to Shanghai Masters last 16 – Sport

0
SHANGHAI: Second seed Alexander Zverev scraped thro­ugh to the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday, winning two tiebreaks against the Netherlands’...

Trump calls for death penalty against migrants who kill U.S. citizens

0
Former President Donald Trump on Friday repeatedly called for using the death penalty against migrants who kill U.S. citizens and law enforcement officers."I’m...

A R Rahman backs US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris with 30-minute video: ‘More than...

0
A R Rahman, the legendary music composer, is making headlines for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of November 5 US Presidential elections....

Ireland come from behind to win against USA

0
Watch highlights as Ireland round off their WXV1 campaign with a 26-14 win against the USA. Source link

Body parts found in Colorado freezer are those of 16-year-old girl last seen in...

0
Body parts found in a freezer earlier this year after a Colorado home was sold have been identified as those of the 16-year-old...