Sivasangari beats Kenzy Ayman to reach US Open squash quarter-finals; Eain Yow falls to Elias

S. Sivasangari is the last Malaysian left at the US Open Squash Championships after beating Egypt's Kenzy Ayman 11-3, 11-7, 11-3 in the second round in Philadelphia on Monday, 2 November (US time). The fifth seed now faces world No. 1 and top seed Amina Orfi in the quarter-finals. Ng Eain Yow went out after losing in four games to third seed Diego Elias of Peru.

Sivasangari in control

Sivasangari, the world No. 4, has not dropped a game this week. She opened on 1 November with an 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 win over her compatriot Aifa Azman in 22 minutes. She then beat Ayman for the fifth time in five meetings. Before Monday she had won all four of their previous matches, according to The Sun.

Her run continues a strong season. Sivasangari won the women's singles gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where Ng Eain Yow took the men's title. Both wins secured LA28 quota places for Malaysia.

Eain Yow falls to Elias

Eain Yow also reached the second round without dropping a game. He beat Spain's Bernat Jaume 13-11, 11-4, 11-3 in 41 minutes. Against Elias he took the first game 12-10, but the Peruvian won the next three 11-8, 11-9 and 11-2.

Elias now plays M. ElShorbagy of Egypt in the men's quarter-finals on Wednesday. The third Malaysian woman in the draw, Rachel Arnold, lost 3-0 to Orfi in the first round. Aifa lost to Sivasangari, so Sivasangari is now the only Malaysian left in the tournament.

Quarter-final against the world No. 1

Orfi reached the last eight by beating fellow Egyptian Hana Moataz 11-4, 11-0, 11-9. She is the top seed and the world No. 1, so Sivasangari will start as the underdog.

The PSA schedule lists Orfi v Subramaniam as the first women's quarter-final, at 6pm on Wednesday, 4 November, in Philadelphia. US daylight saving time ended on 1 November, so Philadelphia is now 13 hours behind Malaysia. That means the match is due to start at 7am on Thursday, 5 November, Malaysia time. Start times can move if earlier matches run long.

In the other top-half women's quarter-final, Georgina Kennedy plays third seed Nouran ElSherbini. The bottom-half second-round matches were scheduled for 3 November in Philadelphia.

About the event

The US Open is a PSA Platinum event. It runs from 1 to 7 November at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia. The men's and women's draws each have USD241,000 in prize money, about RM982,894 at the rate quoted by Bernama. The event is listed for live coverage on SQUASHTV.

Key takeaways

• Sivasangari beat Kenzy Ayman 11-3, 11-7, 11-3 to reach the US Open quarter-finals without dropping a game.
• She plays top seed Amina Orfi at about 7am on Thursday, 5 November, Malaysia time.
• Ng Eain Yow won the first game against third seed Diego Elias but lost 1-3.
• Rachel Arnold and Aifa Azman also went out, so Sivasangari is Malaysia's last player left.

FAQ

When does Sivasangari play in the US Open quarter-finals? Her match against Amina Orfi is scheduled for 6pm on Wednesday, 4 November, in Philadelphia. That is 7am on Thursday, 5 November, in Malaysia. The time may change if earlier matches overrun.

How did Ng Eain Yow lose to Diego Elias? Eain Yow won the first game 12-10. Elias, the third seed, then won the next three games 11-8, 11-9 and 11-2 to win 3-1.

Which Malaysians played at the 2026 US Open squash? In the women's draw, Sivasangari, Aifa Azman and Rachel Arnold all played. Aifa lost to Sivasangari and Arnold lost to Amina Orfi in the first round. Ng Eain Yow played in the men's draw and lost in the second round.

Sources: Bernama, The Sun, PSA Squash Tour, Squash Mad, Olympics.com