KUALA LUMPUR: For Aifa Azman, the easy part was today, and the hardest part is Friday.
The world No. 39 beat Spain's unfancied Cristina Gomez 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the US$64,000 Malaysia Cup and will next meet world No. 9 and top seed S. Sivasangari.
It was more of a warm-up match for Aifa in the 21-minute second round match against Gomez at the Curve Mall in Petaling Jaya.
Aifa, 22, said: "I was more confident and comfortable with my game today than last week at the China Open where I lost to Joelle King in five sets in the first round."
Asked about her chances against Sivasangari, Aifa said it is definitely going to be tough against her national teammate, who has been in the world's top 10 for the last few months.
"I lost to Sivasangari 3-1 in the National Championships in 2022. But I'm ready to take the challenge to face her and I also want to challenge myself that I can do it."
In the men's competition, Egypt's world No. 11 and top seed Youssef Soliman beat Japan's Ryunosuke Tsukue 11-7, 11-4, 4-11, 11-8.
Results (Malaysians unless stated)
Men's second round: Juan Camilo Vargas (Col) bt Aly Husein (Egy) 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6; Youssef Ibrahim (Egy) bt Tsz Kwan Lau (Hkg) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6; Youssef Soliman (Egy) bt Ryunusoke Tsukue (Jpn) 11-7, 11-4, 4-11, 11-8; Ramit Tandon (Ind) bt Yahya Elnawasany (Egy) 11-5, 14-12, 5-11, 11-4.
Women's second round: Aira Azman bt Sarah Cardwell (Aus) 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4; Georgia Adderley (Sco) bt Cheng Nga Ching (Hkg) 11-2, 11-7, 11-6; S. Sivasangari bt Nour Heikal (Egy) 11-4, 11-5, 11-9; Aifa Azman bt Cristina Gomez (Spn) 11-4, 11-4, 11-4.