National squash player Yasshmita Jadish Kumar suffered a swift defeat in the London Open final, losing in straight sets to Egypt’s Nardine Garas, but the promising Malaysian says she is leaving the tournament with more positives than regrets.
The world No.84 was outplayed 11-6, 11-4, 11-2 in just 18 minutes by Garas, ranked 47th in the world. The loss denied Yasshmita what would have been her fifth career title, but the 21-year-old still marked the week as an important milestone in her young career.
Breakout Performance En Route to the Final
Fresh off a title win at the Swiss Open last month, Yasshmita delivered an impressive run in London, defeating two higher-ranked players on her way to the final. She stunned world No.72 Jessica van der Walt in the quarter-finals before overpowering France’s world No. 78 Enora Villard in the semi-finals, showcasing the sharpness and consistency she has been building over recent months.
Her appearance in London marked her first-ever US$15,000 final, a significant step up in competition level.
Cairo Move Paying Off
Yasshmita, who relocated to Cairo in September to train under renowned coaches Andrew Shoukry and Ahmad Faragallah, believes the shift is beginning to show clear results.
“It was my first US$15,000 final, and it’s a huge milestone, but I’m disappointed with my performance in the final.Overall, it was a good week for me as I upset the second and fourth seeds. I can see so much improvement in my game since moving to Cairo. I’ll continue training there for the next six or seven weeks, and I hope to make more progress in upcoming tournaments,” she said.
She added that she will continue training in Egypt for another six to seven weeks with hopes of building on this momentum in upcoming tournaments.
A Promising Path Ahead
Despite the loss, Yasshmita’s performance in London signals continued growth for one of Malaysia’s rising squash talents. With stronger results, improved training support, and increasing international exposure, the young Malaysian is shaping up to be a player to watch on the professional circuit in 2025.
Sources: NST
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