Eain Yow, the fourth seed, showcased his best performance of the season by scoring a hard-fought 11-7, 12-14, 11-9 and 11-5 victory against second seed, Mueller in a gruelling 55-minute match at the Nicol David Arena.
He was the third Malaysian player to win the tournament after former national players Ong Beng Hee (2000 and 2008), and Mohd Azlan Iskandar (2004, 2007 and 2010).
His victory came after national women’s player, Rachel Arnold pulled off a stunning 11-7, 11-13, 10-12, 11-8 and 11-5 victory over her senior teammate, Low Wee Wern, in the women’s final, which lasted about 61 minutes.
It was Rachel’s third Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour title, having won the Malaysian Tour XI, twice, namely in December 2015 and September 2017.
For their feats, Eain Yow and Rachel took home US$30,000 and US$20,000 respectively, a medal each, and the tournament trophy.
The Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, presented the prizes.
Speaking afterwards, Eain Yow revealed that his match against seasoned campaigner like Mueller had been a tough one. He was excited to win the title for the first time, having lost to Leo Au of Hong Kong in the 2017 edition.
The former two-time British Open Junior champion also hoped the victory would boost his morale to score another positive result at the United States Open Championships, slated to be held from Oct 5-12, at Drexel University’s Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.
“I could not be more pleased than winning the Malaysian Open title after quite some years, and it’s a great feeling; this victory will give extra motivation for me to go further in the remainder of the season,” he added.
Sharing the same sentiments was Rachel which was extremely delighted with the victory against her senior teammate, having lost to the same opponent in four sets in the final of the National Championships tournament at the same venue in July.
Rachel, ranked world No. 46, hoped today’s victory would propel her into a better position in the PSA World Rankings, to be issued on Nov 1.
“It was not an easy match as I have to push myself in every rally of the match, and I’m just glad that I won. She played very well and I had to put my best game in the match,” she said.