KUALA LUMPUR: National squash player Yasshmita Jadish Kumar upstaged Hong Kong's world No. 65 Cheng Nga Ching in the inaugural US$50,000 German Open in Hamburg yesterday.
Playing in her first Bronze-level match, the World No. 74 from Negri Sembilan won 13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-5 in 40 minutes.
Yasshmita, 19, who won two Australian tournaments - the Victorian Open and Shepparton International - last year, will meet Egypt's world No. 38 and seventh seed Malak Khafagy next for a place in the quarter-finals.
Malak, who had the better of Yasshmita in the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy quarter-finals in Malaysia in 2022, will also join the University of West England and spar with Yasshmita.
Yasshmita said: "I must thank my compatriot Ng Eain Yow (men's national No. 1) for guiding me throughout the five sets against the Hong Kong player."
Malaysia's Ainaa Amani beat Swiss Nadia Pfister 11-5, 11-8, 13-11, and will face England's third seed Georgina Kennedy in the second round. Compatriot Chan Yiwen lost to Torrie Malik of England 10-12, 8-11, 2-11.
Eain Yow received a bye in the first round and will face German Daniel Poleshchuk next.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's C. Ameeshenraj was named PSA Player of the month of March after upsetting three higher ranked players to win the Liverpool Cricket Club Open title.
World No. 134 Ameeshenraj beat Czech Republic's world No. 89 Viktor Byrtus, England's world No. 70 Ben Smith and Egypt's world No. 71 Mazen Gamal.