“Squash is not a prominent sport in my country compare to other racquet sports such as tennis and badminton,” the 24-year-old said. “But if I can get a good result in the Asian Games this summer, it will definitely help promote squash in Japan.”
Nagoya Games organisers have yet to decide if the sport will feature, according to David Mui Ying-yuen, who is president of both the Asian Squash Federation and Hong Kong Squash.
“We are pushing Nagoya hard to keep squash, but it’s not easy as the sport is never popular in Japan,” Mui said. “But if Satomi can become a champion in Hangzhou, it will definitely help.
“She is one of the fast improving players in the circuit as you can tell from her ranking and we wish her good luck in Hangzhou.”
A student at Roehampton University in London, where she trains with British players, Watanabe became the first player from Japan to break into the world top 20 in April.
And she made no mistake with her third round win on Wednesday at the Hong Kong Squash Centre, dispatching the city’s Fung Ching-hei 11-5, 11-3, 11-4, in a mere 20 minutes.
She will face a tougher test in the last eight, however, where she will take on defending champion and home favourite Tong Tse-wing.
“Unlike Japan, Hong Kong has a brunch of good players and Tong is one of them,” Watanabe said. “And I look forward to the match as it will take place at the centre court with more attention.”
Tong, meanwhile, squandered a 2-0 lead over India’s Tani Khanna, struggling for more than an hour before grinding out an 11-6, 12-10, 12-14, 7-11, 11-2 win.
“I was a bit pushy in the third set hoping to finish it off as quick as possible and allowed the opponent to come back,” Tong said. “I need to be more patient on the court and extend the rally as long as possible.”
In other games, women’s second seed Ho Tze-lok reached the quarter-finals after thrashing India’s Akanksha Salunkhe in straight sets, as did compatriot Simi Chan Sin-yuk, who beat eased past Singapore’s Au Yeong Wai Yhann. Lee Ka-yi came back from two sets down to beat Malaysia’s Ainaa Amani in five sets.
In the men’s event, four Hong Kong players reached the quarter-finals, along with top seed Ng Eain Yow of Malaysia. Ng breezed past home player Matthew Lai Cheuk-nam in just 24 minutes and will face compatriot Addeen Idrakie in the next round.
Wong Chi-him won his all-Hong Kong affair, beating Chung Yat-long 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 to set up a clash against compatriot Henry Leung Chi-hin, who saw off India’s Veer Chotrani in straight sets.
Hong Kong No 1 Lau Tsz-kwan, the world number 42, and Tang Ming-hong also reached the quarter-finals.
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