KUALA LUMPUR: National women's squash player Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi rose to the occasion to nail her maiden title at the Hong Kong Challenge Cup.
Seeded second, the 21-year-old capped a fine performance in the final as she scored a sensational 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 win over top seed and home favourite Cheng Nga Ching at the Hong Kong Cricket Club today.
It was a much-needed result for the world No. 93, who is competing in her first tournament since the Malaysian Open in November.
Before the final, Ainaa defeated South Korea's Choe Yura in the second round.
After that, she overcame Hong Kong's Ena Kwong and Ching Hei Fung in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
"I definitely played well in the final, and it was quite straightforward after all," said Ainaa, who was competing in her second career final.
"Basically, I just stuck to my game plan and did not think too much about winning as I was just focused on getting each point across the board.
"It is my first tournament in five months, so I was definitely a little nervous to be back in action.
"The past few months, I have been mostly working on my strength and conditioning. I feel a lot fitter and can now last longer on court.
"Overall, I'm very happy with my performance this week, although I had a shaky game during the semi-finals.
"I'm still pleased that I managed to overcome the pressure, and looking to improve my ranking after this."
Ainaa's next assignment is the Vikram Goyal SRFI Open in New Delhi from April 1-5.