NO SURRENDER FOR EAIN YOW
Asian champion’s never-say-die spirit keeps him alive in British Open
THE word surrender doesn’t exist in the vocabulary of people like Ng Eain Yow. And such never-say-die spirit has sensationally carried the Malaysian into the quarter-finals of the prestigious British Open, the squash version of tennis’ Wimbledon.
Egypt’s former world champion Karim Abdel Gawad thought he had left Eain Yow for dead after capturing the first two sets, 6-11, 3-11 at the The Rep Theatre in Birmingham, on Wednesday,
But Asian champion Eain Yow just won’t lie down and die. He picked himself up and slogged his way back to win the next three sets, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7.
That’s a man with steely resolve and tons of determination, the last one standing after a gruelling 74 minutes battle.
“At 2-0 down, I was just kicking myself and saying that I couldn't go down like this... I had to keep on fighting and fighting all the way to the end,” said the 26-year-old Eain Yow.
That is another giant-killing act from Eain Yow who had upset Egypt’s world No. 13 Aly Abou Eleinen in the second round on Monday.
In doing so, he became the second Malaysian men’s player to reach the British Open last eight, 24 years after Ong Beng Hee in 2000.
World No. 15 Eain Yow will battle world No. 2 Paul Coll of New Zealand for a place in the semi-finals.
Coll has beaten Eain Yow twice in straight sets - in the Tournament
of Champions in New York in January and the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, last month. But Eain Yow overpowered the Kiwi in five sets in the Singapore Open in 2022.
"I have a score to settle with Coll. We have had some tough matches over the years.
"Coll is a tough opponent, but I will fight like I did against Gawad in the third round.
“For me it’s to have good recovery and come back on Friday to put up another good show in the quarter-finals,” said Eain Yow.
National coach Ajaz Azmat praised Eain Yow’s tremendous fighting spirit, and he believes that the Malaysian has the ability to beat any top player in the world.