PENANG: Sanjay Jeeva’s physical strength gave him the edge as he battled through a gruelling semi-final to reach his maiden National Squash Championships final on Friday (Aug 15).

The 26-year-old top seed held his own against Joachim Chuah, 20, at the Nicol David International Squash Centre to win 12-14, 11-6, 12-10, 11-6.

Sanjay said he knew the match against Joachim was going to be tough, but relied on his own strength when he was trailing.

"The first game was close even though I had a couple of game balls," said Sanjay.

"But I know if it was already that tight at the start, I just needed to trust my physical abilities because I knew if I could make it tough for my opponents at the start, I would be able to last longer in the match.

"Added that this was only my second match of the tournament, I just stuck with my plan and it worked to my benefit as the match went on," he said.

Making his first final appearance at the national tournament, Sanjay will have to get past Duncan Lee to clinch the title, and he is feeling confident he can get the job done.

"It’s my second nationals and I’m the top seed, so I’m happy to have at least made it to the final.

But I know every match is tough, and there’s always different pressures in every match," he said.