PETALING JAYA: Malacca's Siow Yee Xian and Kedah's Aifa Azman bagged the Malaysian Schools Squash Championships’ top honours in anti-climactic circumstances in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday.
Neither of the boys' or girls' Under-18 finals reached a satisfactory conclusion, as the victors were gifted victories at the SMK (L) Bukit Bintang squash courts.
Top seed Yee Xian claimed the boys' Under-18 title without taking to the court after Kuala Lumpur's Danial Nurhaqiem Shahrul Izham conceded a walkover.
Danial, who won the Under-15 title last year, failed to recover from a gruelling five-game win over second seed Hafiz Zhafri Abd Harif of Kedah in Monday's semi-finals.
Aifa's promotion to the Under-18 category, after winning the Under-15 title last year, was a successful one, after Chan Yiwen of Kuala Lumpur retired while trailing 11-3, 4-11, 11-7, 2-0 with an injury in the final.
Kelantan's Amir Amirul Azhar recovered from blowing a two-game lead to down Sarawak's Nathan Kueh Tze Bing 11-7, 11-5, 10-12, 5-11, 11-2 for the boys' Under-15 title and complete a double after his triumph at the National Junior Championships two weeks ago.
Nathan had earlier upset top seed Duncan Lee of Sabah, a runner-up at the British Junior Open in Jan, in the semi-finals.
Selangor's Tay Jun Qian defeated Harith Danial Jefri of Sarawak 7-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7 to win the boys' Under-12 final after both ousted first and second seeds Veeron Heng of Malacca and Kuala Lumpur’s Pradeep Dev, respectively, in the semi-finals.
After losing to Aifa in last year's final in Penang, Sabah's Jessica Keng lifted the girls' Under-15 crown with an 11-3, 11-9, 18-16 win over Low Jia Hui of Kedah.
Kedah earned a second title when K. Sehveetrraa defeated U. Thanushaa of Malacca 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 in the girls' Under-12 final to erase memories of last year's final defeat to state teammate Aira Azman.
RESULTS (all finals)
Boys' Under-18: Siow Yee Xian (Mal) bt Danial Nurhaqiem Shahrul Izham (KL) walkover;
Under-15: Amir Amirul Azhar (Kel) bt Nathan Kueh Tze Bing (Sar) 11-7, 11-5, 10-12, 5-11, 11-2;
Under-12: Tay Jun Qian (Sel) bt Harith Danial Jefri (Sar) 7-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7;
Girls' Under-18: Aifa Azman (Ked) bt Chan Yiwen (KL) 11-3, 4-11, 11-7, 2-0 rtd;
Under-15: Jessica Keng (Sab) bt Low Jia Hui (Ked) 11-3, 11-9, 18-16
Under-12: K. Sehveetrraa (Ked) bt U. Thanushaa (Mal) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3.