Squash / Skuasy -

dexa

Sunday December 30, 2007
World No.1 Nicol to kick off season in New York



PETALING JAYA: World's number one Nicol David (pic) will kick off the new season at the US$60,300 Apawamis Open squash tournament in Rye, New York, on Jan 30.

It will be the first major event of the year on the women's circuit and it will also be Nicol's first tournament since winning the Hong Kong Open in November.

In the Hong Kong final, Nicol defeated world number two Natalie Grinham (9-3, 9-5, 10-8) of Australia to capture her eighth title of the year.

The 24-year-old Malaysian completes her first full calendar year as the world number one in which she won eight Wispa World Tour titles from 10 final appearances.

Nicol had skipped the Apawamis Open this year and only started to compete in professional tournaments from March.

In the upcoming Apawamis Open, Nicol is drawn to meet Natalie in the final.

Nicol is expected to play against world number four Natalie Grainger of the United States. Natalie is expected to meet her older sister and reigning world champion, Rachael, in the other semi-final.

The last time Nicol took part in the Apawamis Open was in 2006 and she was beaten by Dutch player Vanessa Atkinson in the final.

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all the best nicol! -

dexa

Nicol buka tirai selaku no. 1

KUALA LUMPUR - Gagal mempertahankan Kejuaraan Dunia dan Terbuka Britain pada 2007 tidak menghalang jaguh skuasy negara, Nicol David memulakan musim 2008 selaku pemain nombor satu dunia bagi tahun ketiga berturut-turut.

Nicol, 24, yang dipilih sebagai Pemain Wanita Terbaik Dunia dan Olahragawati Asia 2007 selepas merangkul lapan kejuaraan dalam Jelajah WISPA (Persatuan Pemain Skuasy Wanita Antarabangsa) mengatasi dua pemain adik-beradik, Natalie Grinham dan Rachael Grinham dari Australia.

Pemain Amerika Syarikat, Natalie Grainger pula mengekori di ranking keempat, diikuti tiga pemain England, Tania Bailey, Vicky Botwright dan Jenny Duncalf.

Sementara itu, Terbuka Apawamis di New York, Amerika Syarikat pada 1 Februari ini bakal menjadi gelanggang pembuka tirai 2008 bagi Nicol.

Menanti ratu skuasy Malaysia itu yang menamatkan aksi sepanjang 2007 dengan menjuarai Terbuka Hong Kong, November lalu dalam pusingan pertama ialah lawan yang mara daripada kelayakan, sehari sebelumnya.

Nicol, yang diletakkan sebagai pilihan utama kejohanan bernilai AS$60,000 (RM198,690) itu pernah muncul naib juara pada 2006 selepas dikalahkan oleh bekas musuh ketatnya, Vanessa Atkinson dari Belanda 6-9, 2-9, 10-9, 7-9.

Jika mara ke suku akhir, pemain nombor satu dunia dan pemegang lapan gelaran sepanjang 2007 kelahiran Pulau Pinang ini akan menghadapi pemenang satu lagi pusingan pertama antara dua pemain England, Vicky Botwright dengan Laura Lengthorn-Massaro.

Natalie - antara pemain Australia yang turut dicalonkan di samping kakaknya, Rachael dalam Anugerah Skuasy Dunia anjuran Persatuan Pemain Skuasy Wanita Antarabangsa (WISPA) 21 Disember lalu, diletakkan sebagai pilihan kedua dan ketiga Terbuka Apawamis.

Turut menyertai kejohanan ini ialah Grainger, Madeline Perry (Ireland), Vanessa, Omneya Abdel Kawy (Mesir), Duncalf, Bailey dan Shelley Kitchen (New Zealand).

Selain Terbuka Hong Kong, Nicol memenangi Terbuka Kuala Lumpur (Mac), Terbuka Kuwait (April), Klasik Qatar 2006 (April), Terbuka Malaysia (Julai), Master Singapura (Ogos), Terbuka Belanda (Ogos) dan Klasik Qatar 2007 (November) sepanjang tahun lalu.

dexa

Saturday January 5, 2008


Squash: Wee Wern makes it to semis

PETALING JAYA: Top national women's junior player Low Wee Wern has qualified for the semi-finals of the girls' Under-19 British Open Squash Championships in Sheffield, England.

Wee Wern on Friday beat New Zealand's Amanda Cranston 9-6, 9-3, 9-0 in just 24 minutes.

Wee Wern will next face her biggest test of the competition when she meets top-seed Camille Serme of France in the semi-finals.

amazed

2008/01/13

Squash / Tournament of Champions:
Walk in the park for Azlan
By : DEVINDER SINGH


IT was just the start squash ace Azlan Iskandar wanted in his seasondebut as he eased into the second round of the Tournament of Championsin New York on Friday.
The 10th seeded Azlan did not have muchdifficulty in seeing off the challenge of qualifier Khawaja AdilMaqbool of Pakistan, registering a 11-6, 11-5, 11-1 win in 27 minutes.

The Malaysian No 1 advanced to a second round meeting with fourth seedJames Willstrop of England, who had cruised to a 11-4, 11-2, 11-7 winover qualifier John Rooney of Ireland.

Willstrop, the World No6, defeated Azlan 11-9, 11-9, 11-3 in the second round of the US Openlast year and went on to reach the final before losing to compatriotNick Matthew.

But Azlan, 25, hopes to repeat the start he hadin 2007 when he knocked out World No 1 Amr Shabana of Egypt in hisfirst tournament of the season en route to the quarter-finals of theCanadian Classic.

The tournament's top two seeds, Ramy Ashour of Egypt andGregory Gaultier of France, moved into the second round of the PSASuper Series Silver event with straight-game wins over AmericanChristopher Gordon and Shawn Delierre of Canada respectively.



[ Last edited by  amazed at 13-1-2008 03:11 PM ]

amazed

Azlan terkandas di pusingan kedua

KUALA LUMPUR

amazed

Nicol kekal nombor satu

KUALA LUMPUR

amazed

2008/01/27
Squash: Tricia dropped from Asian Championships
By : Devinder Singh




TRICIA Chuah (pic) paid the price for ignoring a national call-up by being dropped from the national squad for the Asian Squash Championships in Kuwait on Feb 13-21.

[/table]National No 3 Tricia's omission was not really a surprise after some inconsistent performances last year saw her world ranking drop from a career-best 25th to 29th in 2007.

A surprise came in the form of Asyraf Azan's selection by the Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) as the fourth member of the men's team over two higher ranked players, causing a sense of dissatisfaction among the national back-up squad players.

SRAM opted to name the same players who helped Malaysia finish fifth at the Men's World Team Championships in India in December and decided a trial was not necessary for the Asian Championships.

That has deprived Korat Sea Games finalists Elvinn Keo (gold) and Nafzahizam Adnan (silver) -- who are both ranked much higher than Asyraf in the world rankings -- a chance to represent the country alongside Azlan Iskandar, Ong Beng Hee and Nafiizwan Adnan.
Conversely, SRAM was able to hold a trial for the two non-automatic spots on the women's team, in which National No 4 Delia Arnold and national junior Low Wee Wern emerged tops to join World No 1 Nicol David and Sharon Wee on the team to Kuwait.

Asyraf, ranked 205th in the world, only played twice in India, winning once against squash minnows Sri Lanka, and losing a dead rubber to France's Renan Lavigne in the quarter-finals after the tie had already been lost.

In contrast, Nafzahizam and Elvinn, world ranked 120th and 174th respectively, have performed better on the PSA Tour's NSC Satellite series, making five semi-final appearances between them, while Asyraf did not get past the quarter-finals of any tournament.

Elvinn ended 2007 by beating Nafzahizam in an all-Malaysian final in the Sea Games to preserve the country's 12-year stranglehold on the men's individual title at the biennial games.

TEAMS -- Men: Azlan Iskandar, Ong Beng Hee, Nafiizwan Adnan, Asyraf Azan; Women: Nicol David, Sharon Wee, Delia Arnold, Low Wee Wern.
[table=60]Share

amazed

Thursday January 31, 2008

Squash: Young Wee Wern gets national call-up


KUALA LUMPUR: Low Wee Wern (pic) will go into full swing in her squash career with the national senior team at the Asian Championships in Kuwait from Feb 13-21.

The 18-year-old Penangite comes into the team as a replacement fornational number three Tricia Chuah, who was axed after going AWOL lastmonth. The other members of the team are five-time champion and worldnumber one Nicol David, Sharon Wee (No. 21) and Delia Arnold (No. 46).


Wee Wern, who joined the team in training on Tuesday under nationalchief coach Jamie Hickox, said she had completed her O-Levelsexamination and could now concentrate fully on her squash career.

揑 turned professional two years ago but could only play in localWispa circuit tournaments because of my studies. But from now I will bea full-time player and will work on improving my game and also my worldrankings,'' said Wee Wern, who is ranked at number 65.

She added that she hopes to break into the top 50 bracket by the end of the year.
揥ith the training under coach Hickox and getting more competitions, I hope to achieve my target.

amazed

Squash / Apawamis Open: Nicol to take bite of Big Apple
By : Devinder Singh

Nicol  has avoided the Grinham sisters Natalie and Rachael until the final.

NICOL David will begin the 2008 season from where she left off lastseason when she returns to action at the Apawamis Open in New Yorktoday.
[table=200][/table] The World No 1 has not played since winning theHong Kong Open on Nov 11 and has used the intervening period to sharpenher skills with coach Liz Irving at her base in Amsterdam as sheembarks on her ninth season on the Wispa Tour.

But Nicol, who in January marked her 18th consecutive month at the topof the world rankings, has her work cut out for her as the ApawamisOpen has attracted 17 of the top 20 players in the world rankings.

Only World No 12 Allison Waters of England, Hong Kong's 14th-rankedRebecca Chiu and No 17 Isabelle Stoehr of France are missing from theUS$60,000 (RM194,000) tournament.

Nicol ended the 2007 seasonby winning her last two tournaments -- the Qatar Classic and Hong KongOpen -- on the back of the double disappointment of her failed BritishOpen and World Open campaigns.
The 25-year-old player got off to a winning start last yearat the Kuala Lumpur Open in her season opener en route to winning eighttitles on the Wispa Tour, a career best for the Malaysian in a singleseason.

And she looks well placed to begin 2008 on the same note in New Yorkwhere she opens against a qualifier. Nicol could then face sixth seedVicky Botwright of England in the quarter-finals before taking oneither fourth-seeded American Natalie Grainger or former world championand eighth seed Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands in the last four.

In a piece of good fortune, Nicol will avoid the Grinham sistersNatalie and Rachael, respectively ranked second and third in the world,until the final as the Australian duo are in the bottom half of thedraw.

Natalie faces a qualifier in the first round but worldchampion Rebecca faces a tricky opener against Shelley Kitchen, the NewZealander who upset Nicol in the World Open and voted Wispa's MostImproved Player for 2007.

This will be only Nicol's secondappearance at the Apawamis Open after her previous appearance in 2006ended with defeat to Vanessa in the final.

Voted Wispa Playerof The Year last month for the third straight year, Nicol has set hersights on regaining the British and World Open titles this year, andwill lead Malaysia at the season ending World Team Championships inDecember in Egypt.

amazed

Nicol mudah ke suku akhir Terbuka Apawamis

KUALA LUMPUR - Pemain nombor satu dunia, Nicol David membuka kempen 2008 dengan melangkah ke suku akhir Kejohanan Skuasy Terbuka Apawamis di Amerika Syarikat, semalam.

Di Kanada pula, Nafiizwan Adnan meneruskan kecemerlangannya dengan layak ke separuh akhir Terbuka Manitoba.

Nicol, juara Apawamis 2006 tidak menghadapi masalah untuk mengetepikan pemain pusingan kelayakan, Engy Kheirallah dari Mesir 9-4, 9-3, 9-1 dalam 33 minit.

Kemenangan tersebut akan menemukan ratu skuasy negara itu dengan Laura Lengthorn-Massaro dari England, pemain yang melakar kejutan pertama kejohanan.

Lengthorn menjadi tumpuan selepas menundukkan pilihan keenam dan rakan senegaranya, Vicky Botwright 9-6, 4-9, 9-5, 9-6.

Nicol, 25, bagaimanapun menjadi pilihan untuk memenangi perlawanan hari ini kerana memegang rekod pertemuan 2-0 ke atas Lengthorn, termasuk memenangi perlawanan terakhir mereka di Terbuka Britain, tahun lalu.

Sementara itu, Nafiizwan dipaksa berhempas pulas untuk menundukkan Cesar Salazar dari Mexico 11-3, 11-5, 11-13, 11-4.

Menanti pilihan ketujuh itu pada separuh akhir hari ini adalah pilihan kedua kejohanan, Shawn Delierre dari Kanada, yang mara selepas menewaskan Chris Gordon dari Amerika Syarikat 11-2, 11-9, 12-10.

Pada kejohanan Apawamis, turut meneruskan kemaraan dan menjadi pilihan untuk berdepan Nicol pada perlawanan akhir nanti adalah pemain adik-beradik dari Australia, Natalie Grinham dan Rachael Grinham.

Natalie, pemain nombor dua dunia menyingkirkan Latasha Khan dari Amerika Syarikat 9-3, 9-4, 9-8, manakala Rachael menundukkan bintang New Zealand, Shelly Kitchen 9-5, 10-8, 9-2.

amazed

Nicol bermula cemerlang

NICOL David membuka kempen musim 2008 dengan langkah kanan apabila mudah menewaskan pemain kelayakan, Engy Khairellah dari Mesir, 9-4, 9-3, 9-1 dalam pusingan pertama Terbuka Apawamis di New York, semalam.

Pemain nombor satu dunia itu akan bertemu Laura Lengthorn-Massaro dari England di suku akhir, hari ini dalam acara Jelajah Emas pertama dunia Wispa tahun ini yang diadakan di Apawamis Club.

Laura mengejutkan rakan senegaranya, Vicky Botwright yang diletakkan sebagai pilihan keenam, 9-6, 4-9, 9-5, 9-6.

Lawan Nicol yang dijangka ditemui di final, pilihan kedua, Natalie Grinham dari Australia mudah melepasi halangan pemain kelayakan, Latasha Khan dari Amerika Syarikat, 9-3, 9-4, 9-8.

Dalam pusingan lapan terakhir, Natalie akan bertemu pilihan kelima, Tania Bailey dari England, yang menewaskan Kasey Brown dari Australia, 10-9, 9-0, 9-6.

Jadual suku akhir lain menyaksikan pilihan keempat, Natalie Grainger dari Amerika Syarikat melawan pilihan kelapan, Vanessa Atkinson dari Belanda; pilihan ketiga Rachael Grinham dari Australia akan bertemu Omneya Abdel Kawy dari Mesir.

amazed

Nicol ke separuh akhir Terbuka Apawamis

KUALA LUMPUR

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Nicol, Grinham tentukan juara

KUALA LUMPUR

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Memang No. 1




RATU skuasy negara, Nicol David meneruskan reputasinya selaku pemain
No. 1 dunia.

Dia hanya memerlukan selangkah lagi untuk menjulang kejuaraanpertamanya bagi musim 2008 selepas menempah tiket ke perlawanan akhirpada Kejohanan Skuasy Terbuka Apawamis di New York semalam.

        Pada aksi separuh akhir semalam, Nicol mudah menundukkan pilihan keempat, Natalie Grainger dari Amerika Syarikat 9-7, 9-4, 9-5.

Pemain kelahiran Pulau Pinang yang juga naib juara dua tahun lepasitu hanya mengambil masa 35 minit untuk meranapkan impian Grainger.

Menanti pemain No. 1 dunia itu pada perlawanan akhir kejohanan yangmenawarkan hadiah wang tunai bernilai AS$60,000 (RM204,000) ini ialahpemain Australia, Natalie Grinham.

        Kedua-dua pemain itu bakal bertemu buat kali ke-17 sejak  November 2003 dan yang pertama untuk musim ini.
        Berdasarkan rekod, Nicol menang 10 daripada 16 pertemuan  dengan Grinham.

Terdahulu, Grinham yang turun selaku juara bertahan mara selepasmenundukkan pemain Mesir, Omneya Abdel Kawy 9-5, 9-4, 9-2 dalampermainan yang hanya mengambil masa 26 minit sahaja.

oobi

[table=100%,wheat][tr]
[td]

[table=96%,lemonchiffon][tr][td]

Nicol dominant in Rye

Final: [1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [2] Natalie Grinham (Aus)
  9/1, 9/6, 6/6  rtd (45m)

Squash Site
Arthur Curran reports

Apawamis Open 2008
New York, Usa, 30 Jan - 04 Feb, $60k

Link to original article

Probably two of the smallest ladies on the professional tour, but absolute giants on the court, this final between the world No 1 and No 2 promised so much

oobi

Apawamis Open 2008 New York, Usa, 30 Jan - 04 Feb, $60k

amazed

Azlan kecundang di Kolkata

KUALA LUMPUR

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Nicol intai kejuaraan keenam

Oleh NORZIE MOHD. KHASBI

KUALA LUMPUR

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Beng Hee hampiri gelaran

BENG HEE (kanan) akanmenentang pemain Pakistan, Mansoor Zaman pada perlawanan akhirKejohanan Skuasy Antarabangsa Kolkata hari ini.

PEMAIN skuasy No. 2 negara, Ong Beng Hee semakin menghampirikejuaraan pertamanya musim ini apabila mara ke perlawanan akhirKejohanan Skuasy Antarabangsa Kolkata di India semalam.

Beng Hee bagaimanapun terpaksa bekerja keras untuk untuk menundukkanpemain pilihan keenam dari Mesir, Omar Abdel Aziz 11-8, 9-11, 6-11,11-8, 11-4 dalam masa satu jam dan 30 minit.

Kelmarin, pemain pilihan kedua kejohanan itu menewaskan pemain pilihan kelapan dari Pakistan, Farhan Mehboob 12-10, 11-8, 11-6.

Kejayaan Beng Hee sedikit sebanyak dapat menebus kembali kekecewaanskuad Malaysia apabila pemain No. 1 negara, Azlan Iskandar tersingkirseawal pusingan pertama.

Pada perlawanan akhir hari ini, Beng Hee akan menentang pemainpilihan kelima dari Pakistan, Mansoor Zaman yang terlebih dahulumenundukkan pemain Mesir, Omar Mosaad 11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9.

Kejohanan Antarabangsa Kolkata yang menawarkan hadiah wang tunaiAS$30,000 (RM96,900) itu merupakan kejohanan persiapan terakhirmenjelang Kejohanan Skuasy Asia di Kuwait pada 13 hingga 21 Februariini.

oobi

"Tonight I played ok in the beginning, but for some reason half way through second and third mentally I was a bit too relaxed because I was up every game and just maybe I'd have won 3-0 if I had concentrated better!!.. "Credit goes to Omar who fought very hard and made my job difficult to win eventually!!.. The ball is still flying around! "It would would have sucked if I'd lost tonight because it's Chinese New Year and I'm playing squash when everyone back home is chilling out and getting fat!!! I need to speak to the Chinese people about the timing of this new year !!!

[ Last edited by  oobi at 9-2-2008 02:17 AM ]