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Shirley Chui

Hong Kong’s rising squash star Simmi Chan Sin-yuk made headlines in the United States after winning Columbia University’s first ever women’s individual title at the National Championships.
The 20-year-old Chan also made history as the first Hongkonger to win the College Squash Association title – as a debutante, to boot.
She came back from a set down to beat defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam of Cornell University 2-11, 12-10, 11-5, 13-11 in the final last weekend.
“It means a lot to win the national title, and it’s also a boost, especially because my opponent in the final was Siva from Malaysia,” said Chan, a second-year Columbia student who missed last year’s event because of a scheduling clash with a Professional Squash Association competition.

🏆 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡 🏆
Congratulations to @CULionsSquash's Simmi Chan, who just became the first Lion to win the @CollegeSquash Women's Individual National Championship!#RoarLionRoar #CollegeSquash #OnlyHere pic.twitter.com/a52YTBRcOa
— Columbia Athletics (@GoColumbiaLions) March 5, 2023

A total of 160 players competed in Philadelphia at the CSA National Collegiate Individual Championships, with only the top 16 women qualifying from the pools for the knockout stage on Sunday.
World No 38 Chan breezed through to the semis without dropping a set, before beating Harvard’s Marina Stefanoni 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4 and then downing the world No 23 Malaysian in the final to win the Ramsay Cup.
“There’s still about half a year until the Asian Games, and we’re all going to get better until then, but it’s a confidence boost for me if I play her again at the Games,” the Hongkonger said.

The two rivals will meet again next month in the first round of the British Open, a Platinum ranking tournament on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) tour.
“We’ve played each other a few times collegiately. We’ve had wins and losses. Siva is a fantastic player, and I have a lot of respect for her,” Chan said.
“There is still a month to go and it’s going to be a different environment for PSA matches so I guess I’ll just try to play well and enjoy it as much as I can,” Chan said.
Though with the Asian Games coming up in September in Hangzhou, Chan has decided to balance competing with her studies.

“My ranking now is high enough for me to get into most tournaments, so I think it’s more important to strike a good balance between academics and squash, and be competitive in tournaments,” she said.
Chan broke into world’s top 50 after lifting the women’s trophy at the Tournament of Championships Challenger in New York last May.
Her ranking rose after back-to-back victories on the Challenger Tour 10, at the Costa North Coast Open in August, and the Volkswagen Bega Open in September.
With the British Open running from April 9-16, Hong Kong will send three other elite female players in No 1 Ho Tze-lok, Lee Ka-yi and Tong Tsz-wing.


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Hong Kong Squash Open

Rising Hong Kong squash star Simmi Chan wins title, makes history at US Collegiate National Championships

Simmi Chan in action at the CSA National Collegiate Individual Championships in Philadelphia. Photo: Columbia University

Simmi Chan (second right) beat Malaysia No 1 Sivasangari Subramaniam (right) in the final of the CSA National Collegiate Individual Championships. Photo: Squashsite

Hong Kong No 2 Simmie Chan lifted the CSA National Collegiate Individual Championships trophy in her debut year. Photo: Columbia University

Hong Kong squash prodigy Chan Sin-yuk lifts Tournament of Champions Challenger trophy in New York City

Chan Sin-yuk (right) plays against Egypt’s Kenzy Ayman in the Tournament of Champions Challenger final in New York. Photo: Professional Squash Association


Women’s champion Chan Sin-yuk and Timothy Brownell, the men’s winner, at the 2022 Tournament of Champions Challenger. Photo: Professional Squash Association

Champion Ho Tze-lok (R) and runner-up Chan Sin-yuk at the Calgary Women’s Squash Week. Photo: Hong Kong Squash

Chan Sin-yuk (second left) is one of the 2019 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Junior Sports Stars winners with Chan Yiu-lam, Ho Nam-wai, Mak Cheuk-wing, and Robbie James Capito (from left to right). Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong squash prodigy’s fairy-tale in New York comes to end – but opponent brands her ‘amazing’

Chan Sin-yuk (right) on her way to victory over Egypt’s Kenzy Ayman in the Tournament of Champions Challenger final in New York. Photo: Professional Squash Association

Chan Sin-yuk (right) during her victory over world No 36 Zeina Mickawy of Egypt in the first round of the Tournament of Champions. Photo: PSA

Hong Kong women go undefeated to reclaim Asian team squash title

Hong Kong’s women won the Asian Team Championships in Korea.  (From right) Simmi Chan, Ho Tze-lok, Lee ka-yi and Tong Ssz-wing. Photo: Handout

Sport

Hong Kong

The 20-year-old becomes the first player from Hong Kong to win the College Squash Association title
Another test awaits the two finalists as Chan and Malaysia’s No 1 will meet again in April at the British Open


Simmi Chan Sin-yuk, 20, wins Columbia University its first ever women’s individual title at the US Collegiate National Championships.
