Liu Ziyi claims China's historic first squash win at World Games

CHENGDU -- China's squash player Liu Ziyi made history at The World Games 2025 here on Saturday, beating Australia's Emily Lamb 3-2 in the women's singles round of 16 plate, the host nation's first squash victory at the multi-sport event.

The 18-year-old, competing in her first World Games, lost the opening game 11-7, but nailed down the next two 11-9, 11-3, before Lamb pulled back on level terms with an 11-5 win in the fourth game.

Trailing 3-0 at the beginning of the decisive fifth game, Liu quickly made adjustments by driving the ball deep and waiting for errors from her opponent, and overtook the lead 10-5. She then denied a late comeback from Lamb, who fended off three match points but committed a foul to hand Liu an 11-8 win.

"In squash, if the opponent interferes with your swing before you hit, it's your point," Liu explained. "The most important thing is to trust your judgment and stay firm if you believe you are right."

China head coach Eslam Mehany said he kept his tactical advice simple when Liu headed into the final game against Lamb. "I could see she was nervous. I told her it's normal to be in a fifth game, and that she could win it," said the Egyptian.

Liu burst into tears after the hard-fought victory and thanked the home crowd for their support. "So many people clapped for every point I won. My parents and teammates were there, and there were so many kids watching. It was moving and an honor," she said.

"I told myself in the mirror this morning for about 10 minutes that I was going to play well today, and that I was going to win," Liu added. "Confidence was the key to pushing through this five-game battle."

Squash will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. China's national squash team, established in August 2024, entered the World Games with little international experience. All the 11 Chinese players fell at the first hurdler on Friday, as Liu lost 3-0 to Asian champion Ho Tze Lok of Hong Kong, China in the round of 32.

Later on Saturday, China's Zhang Guanyu beat teammate Chen Haisong 3-0 in the men's singles plate.

"These wins are not only good for those players but also important for the Chinese team," said Mehany. "I'm happy for them because they finally felt the energy and confidence that comes with winning."