TALENTED Malaysian squash teenager Aifa Azman makes no secret that it has been a depressing season.
The Covid-19 pandemic has halted the 18-year-old's impressive start to the year which saw her finishing second in the British Junior Open and reaching the Indian Tour semi-finals in Jaipur in February.
Though the Professional Squash Association (PSA) have restarted the PSA Tour after months of inactivity, there is still no clear horizon for Aifa and other Malaysians based here.
With the Recovery Movement Control Order extended until Dec 31, it is unlikely any Malaysian player will be able to head out for competitions before the year is over.
And that is a devastating prospect for Aifa as she will be gutted to see her world ranking drop due to being unable to compete.
"I really don't know what else to say about the current situation.
"It is really sad, seeing the PSA Tour getting back on track with players from other countries being able to compete," said Aifa who is ranked a career high No 57 in the world.
"I really hope something can be sorted out somehow because I don't want to see my ranking drop.
"So far there hasn't been any discussion with the coaches or with the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia regarding future plans."
Despite the unfavourable situation, the Kedahan is drawing some positives as she prepares for the National Championships on Oct 6-10.
"On the bright side, the long period without squash has given me time to recover from a knee injury earlier this year," said Aifa.
"And the national championships are going to be very exciting for us since we haven't felt the competition vibe in a long time," said Aifa who will be seeded fourth behind World No 22 Low Wee Wern, World No 38 S. Sivasangari and World No. 42 Rachel Arnold in the national meet.