KUALA LUMPUR: S. Sivasangari is hungrier than ever after a strong showing at the Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) Open on Saturday.
The World No 22 defeated three higher-ranked opponents to clinch the bronze-level PSA Tour crown.
Sivasangari upstaged world No. 15 Sabrina Sobhy of the United States (quarter-finals), 12th-ranked Sarah Jane Perry of England (semi-finals) and No. 18 Amina Orfi of Egypt (final) at the HKFC Open and is now expected to break into the top 20 when the latest women's world rankings are released on Tuesday.
The Malaysian is not too focused on her ranking. Instead, she wants to defy the odds at the US$175,000 Hong Kong Open, which begins tomorrow.
The double gold medallist at the Hangzhou Asian Games will open her campaign against England's Milie Tomlinson tomorrow.If she wins, Sivasangari will likely face Egypt's Hana Ramadan in the second round.
National coach Ajaz Azmat said Sivasangari is on fire at the moment. "She will likely be in the top 20 on Tuesday. She probably played her best match since returning from a road accident against Amina, who is not easy to beat, to clinch the HKFC Open title," said Ajaz, adding that Sivasangari is fired up to make an impression in her last tournament of the season at the Hong Kong Open.
Other Malaysians in the women's draw are Rachel Arnold, Aifa Azman, and Aifa Azman. The top seeds are Egypt's world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini and No. 3 Hania El Hammamy.
In the men's competition, national No. 1 Ng Eain Yow, who lost in the HKFC Open final, will face Germany's Raphael Kandra in the first round tomorrow.