Malaysian national squash player Aifa Azman was defeated in the second round of the Qatar Classic at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, suffering two facial injuries during the match. World No. 23 Aifa lost to world No. 7 Fayrouz Aboelkheir of Egypt in a 56-minute contest with scores of 3-11, 9-11, 11-8, 6-11.

During the third set, while trailing 5-4, Aifa was struck in the mouth by Fayrouz’s racquet, resulting in a bloodied lip and necessitating a courtside medical timeout. Despite the injury, Aifa returned to the court with determination and secured the third set 11-8. However, she sustained another hit in the fourth set when Fayrouz’s racquet caught her on the eyebrow as the Egyptian player was leading 9-6. Following a second medical timeout, Aifa resumed play, but Fayrouz closed out the match by winning the fourth set 11-6.

The two players had previously met at the Karachi Open earlier this year, where Aifa emerged victorious in their quarter-final meeting. Fayrouz acknowledged the intensity of the encounter, noting that the first two sets focused purely on play, but observed that subsequent interruptions affected the flow of the match. She remarked that the third set break appeared to benefit Aifa, describing her opponent as tough and tricky, though she expressed satisfaction at eventually prevailing.

With Aifa’s departure from the tournament, Malaysia’s hopes now rest on Sivasangari, who has advanced to the quarter-finals. Sivasangari secured her position by defeating world No. 13 Salma Hany of Egypt in straight sets, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6. She is set to face Belgium’s Tinne Gilis in her next match.

The Qatar Classic continues to showcase top international talent in the women’s squash circuit, with players contending for ranking points and competitive standing ahead of future major tournaments.