Hong Kong squash player Tong Tsz-wing crowned Asian women’s champion after shock victory over Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold
- The 29-year-old is the lowest-ranked Hong Kong player but stepped up when it mattered to overwhelm her opponent 3-0 in the final
- Yip Tsz-ling took second place in the men’s singles in Islamabad, Pakistan after losing to Malaysia’s Ng Eain Yow
Tong Tsz-wing lifted the Asian squash title on Sunday to become the second women’s regional champion from Hong Kong after Annie Au Wing-chi.
The 29-year-old upset second-seeded Malaysian Rachel Arnold 3-0 in the Asian Championship final in Islamabad, Pakistan to capture the prestigious title – eight years after Au’s victory in 2013.
Hong Kong’s only top 10 player, Au also had runners-up finishes in 2015 and 2019 before she retired last year at the age of 31. A delighted Tong said she never expected to end the year with such an important victory.
“I am so happy I was able to perform well in the final, delivering what I have learned in training,” said Tong, who won in straight sets 11-8, 13-11, 11-5. “Before the match, I never thought of the result or how a victory would allow me to become the Asian champion. In fact, I just lost to her two weeks ago and therefore I felt a bit of pressure meeting her again in the final.”
At the 2021 Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur in November, Arnold beat Tong 3-1 in the opening round.
Hong Kong’s women’s team are still rebuilding after the successive retirements of leading players Au and number two Joey Chan Ho-ling. Their departure has created a vacuum with a number of players vying to step up and become the next number one.