KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian juggernauts of squash — Nicol David, Azlan Iskandar and Ong Beng Hee — advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIMB KL Open yesterday at the National Squash Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

While Nicol and Beng Hee achieved the expected by disposing off the unseeded Jaclyn Hawkes of New Zealand and Egyptian Mohammed Abbas respectively, it was Sarawakian Azlan who stole the thunder by turning the tables on the third-seeded Briton Adrian Grant in straight sets 11-4, 11-4, 11-9 in 40 minutes.

KUALA LUMPUR: The world’s wall-bashing queen Nicol David is eager to win back the crown which she lost last year when she competes in this year’s KL Open.

The US$53,500 (RM177,780) championship, the second Wispa World Tour Gold event of the year, will get underway at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil on Thursday, leading to the final on an all-glass court at Berjaya Times Square on Saturday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) welcome any move by their players, including setting up academies to contribute to the development of the sport at all levels.

SRAM deputy president Datuk Syed Mustaffa Syed Ali added that the national body was supportive towards such a cause, adding that the academies will further spur the growth and development of the sport among the  masses.

KUALA LUMPUR: Siblings Mohd Nafzahizam Mohd Adnan and Mohd Nafiizwan will be setting up a squash academy to develop the sport at grassroots level.

The academy, which caters for beginners and established players, will have five centres — Bukit Jalil, Jalan Duta, Bukit Bintang Boys’ School, 3K Subang Jaya and Bangsar Sports Complex. Nafzahizam, 25, said squash’s popularity is on the rise.

The academy hopes to contribute a steady supply of excellent players.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s favourite sports personality Nicol David will begin her fifth year (and her 42nd consecutive month) as the world No 1, according to the Wispa Squash Rankings for January.

The 26-year-old Penangite first took over the summit four years ago. But she cemented her current uninterrupted world No 1 run in August 2006.

KUALA LUMPUR: It was tooth-andnail till the very end, but luck was simply not on Azlan Iskandar's side as he fell short in the semifinals of the Dutch Open in Rotterdam, Holland, yesterday.

Azlan beat homester Cameron Pilley in the first game but just could not last the pace as he ended losing 6-11,11- 8,11-3,12-10 in 65 minutes.

DEJAVU struck in Doha yesterday as Jenny Duncalf is quickly proving to be Nicol David’s bogey rival after the world No 1 suffered a second successive semifinal loss to the Briton in the Qatar Classic Squash Championship.

NICOL DAVID will be seeking for redemption when the Qatar Classic begins today in Doha. Nicol can’t wait to bounce back after she suffered what was probably her worst defeat as world No 1 against Briton Jenny Duncalf in the semifinals of the New York Open more than a week ago.

ONG BENG HEE’s decision to really come alive in the third set proved too little, too late as the sole Malaysian survivor crashed out in the last 16 of the World Open in Kuwait at the hands of French Gregory Gaultier by a 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 score this morning.

Gregory, the second seed, knew before the match against Beng Hee that he had the World Open title within touching distance after world No 1 player Karim Darwish of Egypt was shockingly knocked out of the tournament by 11th seeded Englishman James Willstrop in an earlier match.

AFTER almost a week of play, it was still pretty much a case of déjà vu as Malaysian squash darling Nicol David eased herself to the Hong Kong Open title for the fifth successive year.

Nicol took only 25 minutes to outclass sixth-seeded Omneya Abdel Kawy 11-4, 11-7 and 11-7 in the match played at the glass court at The Plaza Hollywood shopping mall in Kowloon yesterday.

 

MALAYSIA whitewashed United States to top group E en route booking a quarterfinal date with Pakistan in the Men’s World Team Squash Championships in Odense, Denmark. The Malaysian men were in no forgiving mood and wasn’t prepared to take anything for granted at any part of their clash against USA, who like Malaysia, had also beaten Finland 2-1 in the first group match.

 

 

NATIONAL back-up players players Sharon Wee and Low Wee Wern failed to advance to the main draw of the Forexx Women’s World Open (WWO) squash championship in Amsterdam yesterday, after losing in their respective qualifying matches.

 

IT WASN’T the brightest of starts for Ong Beng Hee as he survived a scare before eventually pulling through in the last game to beat qualifier Davide Bianchetti of Italy 11-8,11-7,7-11,5-11,11-3 in 64 minutes in the opening round of the British Open at the National Squash Centre, Manchester this morning.

THIRD all-time greatest woman in the history of world squash. That is a distinction which anybody will be proud of, especially Malaysia’s very own wall-bashing queen, Nicol David.

Nicol celebrated yet another glorious milestone in her enchanting career by registering her 41st month as the world No 1 in September’s WISPA rankings.

ISN’T it ironic? A little too ironic?

Like the song — Ironic — by Canadian alternative rock queen Alanis Morissette, the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) should treat this as food for thought.

I note that the announcement by the Health Ministry to update the numbers of deaths from H1N1 having risen to eight was published only on Tuesday, while Monday's newspapers showed it to be just seven.

However, the eighth victim passed away in a hospital on Sunday, not on Monday. The news of the death of the eighth victim should then be published on Monday itself, but was not informed through the media till Tuesday.

The same thing happened yesterday.

MALAYSIA’S world No 1 women’s squash player Nicol David advanced to the semifinals of the Malaysian Open Squash Championships 2009 after outclassing Kasey Brown of Australia at The Curve shopping mall yesterday.

IF there was one man who had a wide smile on after the main draw of the Malaysian Squash Open Championship 2009 was made, it must have been national No 1, Ong Beng Hee.

A very favourable first round draw saw Beng Hee avoid the top two seeds, Egypt’s Amr Shabana and Briton Nick Matthews (first and second respectively).

THE only two Malaysians left, Nicol David and Azlan Iskandar, won their respective games at the World Games to cement a place in the semfinals yesterday.

Reigning champion, Nicol, looks on course to defend her title after securing a comfortable victory over unseeded Joey Chan 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 in 20 minutes.

Nicol will take on Egypt’s Omneya Abdel Kawy in the final today. Omneya could prove to be tough opposition for Nicol as the former shocked British champion, Jenny Duncalf, in the quarterfinals.