National squash player Thanusaa Uthrian celebrated a monumental career milestone by capturing the Western Australia Open title after pulling off a brilliant upset in the final in Mirrabooka, Australia on Sunday.

The world No. 228 showcased exceptional form to defeat South Korea’s world No. 154 and third seed, Heo Ming Yeong, in a 29-minute clash. Thanusaa dug deep to seal the victory with a scoreline of 12-10, 5-11, 11-2, 11-3.

The triumph marks the second PSA title for the 20-year-old from Melaka, who previously won the T-Force Pro Challenger Series in Philadelphia in March.

A Special Milestone on the Comeback Trail

For Thanusaa, this victory is particularly sweet as she continues her journey back up the global standings following a lengthy layoff. The young Malaysian was ranked as high as world No. 125 in 2024 before a severe right wrist injury sidelined her from competitive action for an entire year.

“Winning the WA Open title is a very special milestone in my squash journey. I am grateful to my family, coaches, and SRAM who have been part of this achievement,” Thanusaa said.

Reflecting on her performance, which saw her defeat three higher-ranked opponents en route to the title, she added: “This victory motivates me to keep working harder and striving for greater success on the international stage. My main goal this year is to break into the top 200 in the world. I was back in training last year in August, but I am still not satisfied with myself as I believe that I could have done better in tournaments.”

Thanusaa will not have much time to rest, as she is scheduled to feature next in the PSNS President’s Trophy in Seremban from June 17-21.

Runner-Up Finish for Low Wa Sern in Men’s Final

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s hopes of securing a double victory in Mirrabooka were dashed in the men’s singles event, with Low Wa Sern finishing as the tournament runner-up.

Ninth seed Wa Sern’s impressive run came to an end in the final at the hands of Switzerland’s third seed, Louai Hafez. The 19-year-old Perak native fell 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 in a match that lasted 40 minutes.

“I was tired after playing too many matches, while Hafez was just too good as he hardly made mistakes in the match,” Wa Sern admitted, noting that while he started strongly in the opening game, errors began to creep into his play as fatigue set in.