KUALA LUMPUR: S. Sivasangari needs to be mentally tough to match the big guns in PSA Tour tournaments.
The United States-based Sivasangari has set herself a target of winning a gold medal in the 2028 LA Olympics.
The Asian champion, ranked 16th in the world, is expected to face Egypt's world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini in the quarter-finals of the US$108,000 London Classic, which begins on Wednesday.
Featuring in her sixth PSA Tour event this year, Sivasangari received a first round bye and will face Egypt's Fayrouz Aboelkheir or England's Grace Gear in the second round.
But eighth seed Sivasangari's main challenge will likely come against top seed Nour in the quarter-finals.
Nour has won three tournaments — the Florida Open, Tournament of Champions and the Windy City Open — this year.
In the Florida Open in January, Sivasangari lost in straight sets to Nour in the quarter-finals.
National coach Ajaz Azmat said Sivasangari has been playing well in tournaments.
"But she needs to be mentally strong and cope with pressure when playing against top players like Nour.
"However, it is just a matter of time before she can challenge the top players in tournaments."