KUALA LUMPUR: S. Sivasangari officially announced her arrival in the world of squash when she claimed her first-ever Gold-level PSA Tour title at the US$108,500 London Classic on Monday.
The Asian champion produced a phenomenal showing throughout the tournament, pocketing the prize purse of US$17,598.
Sivasangari upset her high school rival and world No. 2, Hania El Hammamy of Egypt, 11-9, 5-11, 13-11, 12-14, 11-8 in a thrilling final match that lasted 81 minutes.
Earlier, the Kedah-born player stunned Egypt's world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini in the quarter-finals and world No. 4 Nele Gilis of Belgium in the semi-finals.
Sivasangari has proven to the world that nothing is impossible in life, and her victories over players from powerhouse Egypt show that she will now be a threat to the world's best.
Her career almost came to a premature end after she was involved in a car accident in 2022.
However, she fought her way back from surgeries and countless hours of rehabilitation to return to competitive squash.
After her final, Sivasangari said: "There are no words to truly summarise (this). I'm really pleased with how I handled myself this week, beating three of the top four players in the world.
"It's been an unbelievable journey after what happened two years ago."
"I had chances to close the match in the fourth game but could not convert. In the fifth game, I stayed composed when Hanna was fighting back. I am just happy with this win."
Sivasangari added: "It's huge. The last time I played in a Gold-level event, I lost in the quarter-finals.
"To even make it to the final is a crazy feeling. I am so proud of my victory.
"I wouldn't have done it without the support of my family, coaches, and sponsors. I wouldn't be here today if not for them.
"I'm going to call my family and coaches now. I want to thank them for making this unbelievable journey a reality after what happened two years ago."
