KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 8 S. Sivasangari will try to get the monkey off her back at the US$366,000 Egyptian Open which begins tomorrow in Cairo.

The Malaysian's biggest challenge in the Diamond level tournament will be her nemesis world No. 5 and London Squash Classic champion Amina Orfi of Egypt in the quarter-finals, who has beaten her in the last four meetings.

The 18-year-old Orfi defeated Sivasangari, 26, in four games in the semi-finals of the London Squash Classic last week.

Sivasangari also lost to Orfi in the quarter-finals of the British Open in June, the semi-finals of the Singapore Open and the final of the Malaysia Cup last year.

The seventh seed Sivasangari, who received a bye in the first round, will face Egyptian players world No. 24 Malak Khafagy or world No. 45 Nor Heikal in the second round.

She is then scheduled to face world No. 18 Jasmine Hutton of England in the third round before she faces Orfi.

Last year in the Egyptian Open, Sivasangari lost to Nada Abbas of Egypt in the third round.

National coach Ajaz Azmat said that there would be no pressure on Sivasangari although she has not beaten Orfi in the last four meetings.

"Sivasangari gave a good fight to Orfi in the London Classic before losing during crucial points. But this time she will be in good hands as her coach Gregory Gaultier of France, who she has been training with for the last few months in Prague, will be in Egypt to guide her for the tournament in Giza.

"She will take it one match at a time. I believe that Sivasangari has learned her lesson at the London Classics and will put up a much stronger challenge against Orfi," said Ajaz, who is also in Giza.

Besides Sivasangari, four other Malaysian players will also participate in the tournament.