♥ Miss the moment
Saturday, 27 October 2012 | 09:10 | 0 cutest
Ilya richer for the experience.
Byline: Devinder Singh
ILYA Kareena Ibrahim was still at school when she got a telephone call yesterday afternoon that she would be playing World No 1 Nicol David in the TC National Squash Championships in Bukit Jalil.
Disbelief followed fear and excitement in quick measure as Ilya geared up for what was to be the biggest challenge in the 14-year-old's fledgling squash career.
But once the Selangor junior stepped onto the National Squash Centre Court, she did not care that her first round opponent was four-time world champion Nicol and Ilya gave it as good as she received before in a battling 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 defeat.
"I was not even supposed to play in the tournament until I found out this (yesterday) afternoon in school that I was in. And when I saw the draw that I was going to play Nicol in the first round, I just did not know what to think," said Ilya, a Form Two student of Bukit Jalil Sports School.
"It was a real last minute kind of thing and when I stepped on court, my mind went blank for a minute. I was kind of afraid when I was warming up, thinking what I should do against Nicol.
"But after a while I was not really thinking I was playing Nicol and I started to play normally." Ilya did seem a little overawed at first but quickly picked up her first point at 2-0 down in the first game but it was not until the third game that Ilya began to press Nicol, leading 3-1 early in the game.
Even at half-pace Nicol still cantered to a comfortable win for a place in the quarter-finals against national junior Nessrine Ariffin.
"It's a perfect opportunity for the juniors to feel what it's like to play against the seniors in a tournament setting. When I was 13, the seniors really helped me out lot and I'm glad I can help them out now," said Nicol, who using the tournament as a warm-up for the defence of her Malaysian Open title next week.
"She played well, placed her shots nicely and went after every ball.
It's the first time we played against each other but I too had a good game." Ilya, who gained a spot in the draw following the injury-enforced withdrawals of Delia Arnold and Low Wee Nee, said it was the best match she ever played in.
"I learned a lot about how to play an international player and I'm happy I got this chance. It was the best match I have played so far," she said.
The first round went according to script with all the seeds progressing to the last eight including Low Wee Wern, now the second seed in Delia's absence, who beat another last minute entry, Nurdiana Laili, 11-3, 11-2, 11-6.
Men's top seeds Ong Beng Hee and Azlan Iskandar received first round byes with the main action taking place in the clash between Penang coach Aaron Soyza and Selangor junior Ng Jo Wen, who won 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7.
ILYA Kareena Ibrahim was still at school when she got a telephone call yesterday afternoon that she would be playing World No 1 Nicol David in the TC National Squash Championships in Bukit Jalil.
Disbelief followed fear and excitement in quick measure as Ilya geared up for what was to be the biggest challenge in the 14-year-old's fledgling squash career.
But once the Selangor junior stepped onto the National Squash Centre Court, she did not care that her first round opponent was four-time world champion Nicol and Ilya gave it as good as she received before in a battling 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 defeat.
"I was not even supposed to play in the tournament until I found out this (yesterday) afternoon in school that I was in. And when I saw the draw that I was going to play Nicol in the first round, I just did not know what to think," said Ilya, a Form Two student of Bukit Jalil Sports School.
"It was a real last minute kind of thing and when I stepped on court, my mind went blank for a minute. I was kind of afraid when I was warming up, thinking what I should do against Nicol.
"But after a while I was not really thinking I was playing Nicol and I started to play normally." Ilya did seem a little overawed at first but quickly picked up her first point at 2-0 down in the first game but it was not until the third game that Ilya began to press Nicol, leading 3-1 early in the game.
Even at half-pace Nicol still cantered to a comfortable win for a place in the quarter-finals against national junior Nessrine Ariffin.
"It's a perfect opportunity for the juniors to feel what it's like to play against the seniors in a tournament setting. When I was 13, the seniors really helped me out lot and I'm glad I can help them out now," said Nicol, who using the tournament as a warm-up for the defence of her Malaysian Open title next week.
"She played well, placed her shots nicely and went after every ball.
It's the first time we played against each other but I too had a good game." Ilya, who gained a spot in the draw following the injury-enforced withdrawals of Delia Arnold and Low Wee Nee, said it was the best match she ever played in.
"I learned a lot about how to play an international player and I'm happy I got this chance. It was the best match I have played so far," she said.
The first round went according to script with all the seeds progressing to the last eight including Low Wee Wern, now the second seed in Delia's absence, who beat another last minute entry, Nurdiana Laili, 11-3, 11-2, 11-6.
Men's top seeds Ong Beng Hee and Azlan Iskandar received first round byes with the main action taking place in the clash between Penang coach Aaron Soyza and Selangor junior Ng Jo Wen, who won 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7.
