Squash / Skuasy -

oobi

Zaman collects in Calcutta

Mansoor Zaman claimed his second consecutive win over a higher-seeded opponent to take the title at the Calcutta Racket Club, earning a $4,873 cheque and a welcome boost in ranking points.

"This is a big occasion winning this tournament. Perhaps I am in the best form of my career, at the moment my prime target is to break into top 10 and probably I will reach there by the year end. "My next target is the British Open. A few great Pakistani players have their names in the honour list there and I want to emulate them ..."

"I had no answers to his delicate shots. I played below par, but he is a great player. "If he can continue with this form, very soon he would break the top 10 barrier."

amazed

Beng Hee kempunan raih gelaran sulung

KUALA LUMPUR - Pemain perseorangan lelaki negara, Ong Beng Hee gagal dalam usaha untuk meraih gelaran pertamanya tahun ini apabila tewas pada perlawanan akhir Kejohanan Skuasy Antarabangsa Kolkata di India, semalam.

Lawan yang menyekat hajat Beng Hee, 28, itu ialah pemain Pakistan, Mansoor Zaman yang menang 11-4, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8 dalam masa 54 minit.

Walaupun pemain kelahiran Pulau Pinang itu mempamerkan persembahan menyakinkan di pusingan awal tetapi pada perlawanan akhir semalam, Beng Hee ternyata gagal menyaingi semangat melawan tinggi Mansoor.

Dengan kejayaan itu, Mansoor membawa pulang hadiah wang tunai AS$30,000 (RM97,000) selaku juara kejohanan.

Terdahulu di peringkat separuh akhir, Beng Hee terpaksa bekerja keras selama 70 minit sebelum menundukkan Omar Abdel Aziz dari Mesir 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4.

Mansoor, pilihan kelima juga mengharungi perlawanan sukar ketika mengalahkan seorang lagi pemain Mesir, Omar Mosaad 11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 dalam satu lagi separuh akhir.

Beng Hee amat memerlukan kemenangan di Kolkata untuk menyuntik semangatnya sebelum memburu kejuaraan Asia buat kali kelima berturut-turut di Kuwait, bermula Rabu ini.

Malah, hanya kejuaraan di India mampu mengembalikan keyakinan pemain nombor 16 dunia itu selepas gagal memenangi sebarang gelaran dalam kejohanan Persatuan Skuasy Profesional (PSA) tahun lalu.




Tahniah beng hee walaupun tewas...  Teruskan usaha dan perjuangan!!

amazed

Squash: Azlan, Ong will bounce back

By : Devinder Singh

Azlan Iskandar suffered a shock first round defeat to Shahid Zaman in Kolkata.

THERE is no need to hit the panic button despite the defeats ofMalaysia抯 top men professionals Azlan Iskandar and Ong Beng Hee at thehands of Pakistan players in the recent Kolkata Internationaltournament.

[table=200][/table]Beng Hee抯 11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 11-8 defeat in thefinal to World No 35 Mansoor Zaman on Friday coupled with top seedAzlan抯 first round exit to World No 57 Shahid Zaman means Malaysiawill have a battle on their hands to win a hat-trick of Asian men抯team titles.

Chiefcoach Jamie Hickox said losing is part and parcel of the game and isconfident the duo will bounce back in time for the Asian Championshipsin Kuwait starting on Wednesday.

揟here is no concern as it isnatural for players to lose from time to time and have bad days but Iam confident Azlan will bounce back. Mansoor has also being playingwell lately but he won抰 be in Kuwait,

amazed

Wednesday February 13, 2008

Squash: Malaysia aim to become first nation to retain all four titles


By AFTAR SINGH


KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia go into today抯 Asian Championships lookingto make another squash history by becoming the first nation to retainall four titles at stake.

Azlan: The top seed should meet Shahid Zaman in the semi-finalsof the Asian Championships. The Pakistani bundled him out in thefirst round of the Kolkata Open last week.

Two years ago in Taiwan, Ong Beng Hee and Nicol David captured themen抯 and women抯 individual titles. Malaysia also captured the men抯and women抯 team crowns.

That was the first time that a nation had made a clean sweep of all four titles.

Now, in Kuwait from today until Feb 21, the Malaysia players aim to do what no one has done before.

It won抰 be easy though.

As far as the women are concerned, the individual and team titles are as good as theirs.
World No. 1 Nicol David is the overwhelming favourite to bag her sixth consecutive title.

Nicol, who has been ranked number one in the world for 19 straightmonths, is expected to meet second seed Rebecca Chiu of Hong Kong inthe final. The two also clashed in the final two years ago.

The other members of the women抯 team are world No. 21 Sharon Wee,world No. 48 Delia Arnold and top national junior and world No. 66 LowWee Wern.

Wee Wern will be making her debut in the meet, replacing nationalNo. 3 Tricia Chuah, who was dropped from the squad after going AWOLlast December.

But all is not well with the men抯 team, especially with the top twoplayers

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Nicol ketuai kemaraan ke separuh akhir

KUALA LUMPUR - Tiga pemain utama negara, Nicol David (gambar), Mohd. Azlan Iskandar dan Ong Beng Hee menepati ramalan awal dengan melangkah ke separuh akhir Kejohanan Skuasy Asia di Kuwait, semalam.

Bagaimanapun, nasib malang menimpa pemain wanita nombor dua negara, Sharon Wee apabila kalah mengejut kepada Joshna Chinappa dari India.

Kekalahan Sharon itu sekali gus menimbulkan keraguan mengenai keupayaan Malaysia untuk mempertahankan kejuaraan berpasukan yang akan berlangsung sejurus tamat acara individu

Dua lagi pemain wanita negara, Delia Arnold dan Low Wee Wern turut gagal melepasi saingan suku akhir.

Nicol, 24, yang memburu kejuaraan keenam berturut-turut menyingkirkan pemain berusia 18 tahun, Wee Wern 9-2, 9-4, 9-4 hanya dalam masa 25 minit.

Pemain nombor satu dunia itu kini akan menentang pilihan ke-3/4, Christina Mark dari Hong Kong, yang mara selepas menundukkan rakan senegara, Elise Ng 9-4, 9-6, 9-3.

Hasrat pemain nombor 21 dunia, Sharon untuk mengiringi Nicol ke separuh akhir dimusnahkan dengan kekalahan 5-9, 9-4, 7-9, 5-9 kepada Joshna, yang memiliki ranking 43 dunia.

Seperti dijangka, Delia bukan tandingan pilihan kedua, Rebecca Chiu dari Hong Kong apabila kalah 7-9, 4-9, 1-9.

Jika Nicol menjadi wakil tunggal Malaysia dalam separuh akhir wanita, cabaran lelaki seperti dijanjikan menampilkan dua pemain utamanya, Azlan dan Beng Hee.

Pilihan utama, Azlan tidak menghadapi masalah untuk menundukkan pencabar dari Pakistan, Majid Khan apabila menang mudah 9-0, 9-0, 9-1 hanya dalam masa 33 minit.

Juara empat kali berturut-turut, Beng Hee pula diberikan sedikit tentangan oleh Siddarth Sudche dari India sebelum menang 9-2, 9-3, 8-10, 9-2.

Azlan yang kalah kepada Beng Hee dalam perlawanan akhir di Taiwan dua tahun lalu akan menentang jaguh Pakistan dan pilihan ke-3/4, Shahid Zaman dalam saingan separuh akhir.

micha

teringin nk main squasy ngan amazed.....

amazed

Jom la. Aku main squash kat gym aku. Tapi kengkadang kat apt complex kawan aku kat S Alam ni.  Aku tak la pandai sangat  setakat kuar peluh  tu wokey la.

Padan ler aku rasa mcm namaku  diseru seru     aku seru tak apa; takut jadi ash韙eru lak...  marah boyfren ko nanti!!

amazed

2008/02/17

Squash: Nicol the lone survivor




SHARON Wee fell by the wayside at the Asian Championships on Friday toleave World No 1 Nicol David (pic) as Malaysia's only hope in thewomen's individual competition.

Former world junior runner-up Joshna Chinappa ofIndia stunned joint-third seed Sharon 9-5, 4-9, 9-7, 9-5 in aquarter-final clash to set up a last four meeting with second seedRebecca Chiu of Hong Kong.

Rebecca advanced by ending the run of joint-fifth seed Delia Arnold9-7, 9-4, 9-1 in 33 minutes while Nicol sent compatriot Low Wee Wernpacking 9-2, 9-4, 9-4 in 25 minutes.

Sharon's defeat does notaugur well for Malaysia's defence of the women's team title as a strongsecond or third singles will be required to overcome Hong Kong andIndia.

   Nicol was playing Hong Kong's Christina Mak late yesterday as she closes in on her sixth successive Asian individual title.
    Men's top two seeds Azlan Iskandar and Ong Beng Hee encountered little trouble in reaching the semi-finals.

Azlan was in devastating form as he trounced Majid Khan of Pakistan9-0, 9-0, 9-1 in 33 minutes while defending champion Beng Hee overcamethe loss of the fourth game against Siddarth Suchde of India to comethrough 9-2, 9-3, 8-10, 9-2.

Beng Hee, chasing his fifthstraight Asian title, was playing giant-killer Abdullah K. Al-Mezayenof Kuwait in the last four while Azlan will be looking to avenge hisfirst round exit at the Kolkata International last week againstPakistan's Shahid Zaman.

amazed

Monday February 18, 2008

Squash: Azlan and Nicol bag Asian Championships titles

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: It was an all-Malaysian affair when Mohd Azlan Iskandar and Nicol David won the men's and women's title respectively at the Asian Squash Championships in Kuwait yesterday.

World No 16 and top seed Azlan came back from the brink of defeat to clinch his first Asian title when he defeated second seed and team-mate Ong Beng Hee 5-9, 8-10, 9-5, 9-0, 9-7 in the final.

It was sweet revenge for Azlan, who lost to Beng Hee in the last championships final in Taiwan in February, 2006 and 10 months later in the Doha Asian Games final.

Earlier, top seed Nicol as expected won her sixth Asian title.

Nicol, who has been ranked number one in the world for 19 consecutive months, had no problem defeating second seed Rebecca Chiu of Hong Kong 9-5, 9-2, 9-2 in the final.

Nicol was also the winner in 1998 (Kuala Lumpur), 2000 (Hong Kong), 2002 (KL), 2004 (KL) and 2006 (Taiwan).

In Saturday's semi-finals, Azlan had also exacted revenge over joint third-fourth seed Pakistani Shahid Zaman 9-2, 9-4, 9-6. Two weeks ago in the Kolkata Open, Shahid showed Azlan the exit in the first round.

Beng Hee received a strong challenge in his semi-final against Abdullah Al-Mezayen of Kuwait before winning 9-3, 9-2, 9-5.

In the women's semi-finals, meanwhile, Nicol scored an easy 9-0, 9-2, 9-0 win over Hong Kong's Christina Mak.

The world No. 13 Rebecca reached the final after her opponent Joshna Chinappa, who lost the first two sets 0-9, 2-9 retired in the third set due to injury.

The Asian Championships does not offer cash rewards but the national players will receive incentives from the National Sports Council (NSC) programme.

Nicol and Azlan will receive RM40,000 each while Beng Hee will pocket RM20,000.

micha

gym ko katne???? ala aku pn main biasa2 je, taraf2 nicol david je. hahahaha.... sape kalah belanja????

amazed

Gym aku kat Blue Wave  S Alam..  ko kat ne?  Ha.. kalu ko tarap nicol david  matila aku    huhu     

amazed

Wednesday February 20, 2008


Women抯 squash team in semis, men make it to the last eight


By AFTAR SINGH


KUALA LUMPUR: Six-time Asian champion Nicol David steered the nationalwomen抯 team into the semi-finals of the Asian Squash Championshipsteam event in Kuwait yesterday.


Defending champions Malaysia topped Group A by winning all their threematches and will face Group B runners-up Japan in today抯 semi-finals.


Malaysia, who defeated South Korea and Macau with identical scores of3-0 on Monday, outplayed India with the same scoreline yesterday.

Nicol David steered the women's team to the semi-finals of the Asian Championships in Kuwait Tuesday.

National No. 3 Delia Arnold came back from a set down to beat Anwesha Reddy 5-9, 9-3, 9-0, 9-3 in the first tie.
Top national junior player Low Wee Wern clinched the winning point with a 9-2, 9-3, 9-7 win over Surbhi Misra.
World No. 1 Nicol then made it 3-0 by disposing of Joshna Chinappa 9-2, 9-0, 9-2.

Azlan guided the men's team into the quarter-finals.

Malaysia, who are gunning for their third consecutiveteam title, should have no problem getting past Japan to reach thefinal..


The other semi-final is between runners-up Hong Kong and South Korea.


Hong Kong, led by World No. 13 Rebecca Chiu, are the favourites to go through and set up a repeat final against Malaysia.


In the men抯 category, Malaysia advanced to the quarter-finals afterwinning both their Group A matches, scoring 3-0 wins over Taiwan andSri Lanka.




Malaysia, led by the newly crowned indiviual champion Mohd Azlan Iskandar, will face Japan for a place in the semi-finals.
Defending champions Malaysia are expected to overcome Japan to set up asemi-final showdown against either India or South Korea today.


Pakistan, the champions in Kuala Lumpur in 2004, will meet Hong Kong inthe other quarter-finals. And the winners of the match will meet eitherKuwait or Sri Lanka in the semi-finals.

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Malaysia ke perlawanan akhir

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia hanya tinggal selangkah lagi untuk menyapu bersih kejuaraan skuasy Asia apabila melayakkan diri ke saingan akhir berpasukan lelaki dan wanita di Kuwait, semalam.

Selepas merangkul gelaran berganda dalam acara individu menerusi Nicol David dan Mohd. Azlan Iskandar, Malaysia kini berpeluang mempertahankan kejuaraan berpasukan lelaki dan wanita hari ini.

Pasukan lelaki negara bagaimanapun dipaksa mengharungi pertarungan mendebarkan sebelum menewaskan India 2-0 untuk bertemu pemenang antara musuh ketat, Pakistan dan tuan rumah, Kuwait.

Pasukan wanita yang diketuai pemain nombor satu dunia, Nicol, sebaliknya tidak menghadapi masalah untuk menyingkirkan Jepun 2-0 dan menempah pertemuan dengan Hong Kong.

Semalam, Ong Beng Hee dipaksa berhempas pulas untuk meraih mata pertama Malaysia dan mengalahkan Ritwick Bhattarcharya 10-9, 10-8, 9-3.

Set pertama berlangsung sengit apabila Beng Hee ketinggalan 8-9 tetapi dia bangkit menyamakan kedudukan 9-9 sebelum akhirnya menang 10-9.

Azlan pula menang 6-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-4.

Sementara itu, Sharon Wee yang diturunkan sebagai perseorangan wanita pertama menerima tentangan daripada Misaki Kobayashi tetapi masih mampu menang straight-set 9-6, 9-5, 9-2 dalam masa 27 minit untuk mengutip mata pertama.

Juara Asia enam kali berturut-turut, Nicol mengharungi saingan yang lebih mudah ketika menumpaskan Chinatsu Matsui 9-2, 9-5, 9-3 untuk membawa Malaysia ke perlawanan akhir.

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Lelaki, wanita kekal mahkota Asia
Oleh Harris Rajahdin

JAGUH skuasy dunia, Nicol David memastikan skuad wanita negara mengekalkan mahkota kejuaraan apabila gah mengepalai cabaran itu menewaskan musuh tradisi, Hong Kong 2-1 dalam perlawanan akhir Kejohanan Asia ke-14 di Bandaraya Kuwait, semalam.

Skuad lelaki juga meraih kejayaan selaku juara dengan keputusan sama ke atas tuan rumah, Kuwait untuk mencipta sejarah sebagai negara pertama mengulangi sapuan bersih empat gelaran dalam kejohanan Asia ini.

Mohd Azlan Iskandar menang ke atas Abdullah Al-Mezayen, 10-8, 9-2, 9-6. Apapun, Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan terlepas peluang untuk menamatkan pertemuan ini lebih awal apabila kecundang kepada Ali Al-Remezy, 2-9, 8-10, 4-9.

Mata kemenangan diraih oleh Ong Beng Hee yang mengenepikan Salim Fayeez, 9-3, 9-0, 9-8.

Dalam saingan wanita, bermain dalam urutan 1-3-2, Nicol seperti diramal mudah meraih mata pertama dengan menewaskan Rebecca Chiu 9-1 9-5 9-0 dalam tempoh 21 minit.

Namun, cabaran negara tersentak seketika apabila Delia Arnold mempamerkan aksi goyah sebelum kecundang kepada Joey Chan 3-9 3-9 9-5 2-9 dalam 48 minit.

Apapun, Sharon Wee menjadi penyelamat apabila mengesahkan kemenangan buat Malaysia selepas bangkit daripada kekalahan set pertama untuk menundukkan Elise Ng 9-6 9-2 6-9 9-1 dalam 37 minit.

Dalam saingan separuh akhir, kelmarin skuad wanita menewaskan Jepun 2-0 manakala barisan lelaki mudah mengatasi halangan India juga dengan keputusan sama untuk bertemu Kuwait yang mengejutkan naib juara, Pakistan.

Sharon Wee meletakkan Malaysia di depan apabila menundukkan Misaki Kobayashi 9-6, 9-5, 9-2 dalam 27 minit sebelum mata kemenangan disahkan Nicol yang mudah meratah Chinatsu Matsui, 9-2, 9-5, 9-3 juga dalam 27 minit.

Pasukan lelaki meraih mata pertama menerusi Ong Beng Hee yang menundukkan Ritwik Bhattarcharya, 10-9, 10-8, 9-3 sebelum Mohd Azlan Iskandar mengesahkan tiket Malaysia dengan kejayaan 6-9, 9-5, 9-3, 9-4 ke atas Saurav Ghosal.

Ahad lalu, Mohd Azlan dan Nicol terus gah selaku jaguh Asia ketika ini selepas meraih mahkota perseorangan.

Dua tahun lalu di Taiwan, Nicol, Beng Hee, berpasukan lelaki dan wanita buat pertama memastikan Malaysia pulang dengan semua empat gelaran.

amazed

Sunday March 2, 2008

Squash: Breaking the jinx

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: National No. 1 men抯 squash player Ong Beng Hee has run into the top seeds in the last two Kuala Lumpur Opens and got bounced out.

This year, he intends to set the record straight.

In 2006, he came up short against top seed and team-mate Mohd Azlan Iskandar in the final.

Last year, Beng Hee was knocked out in the last eight by top seed Nick Matthew of England.

Could this year抯 CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open, which begins at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil on Wednesday, be any different for the 28-year-old Beng Hee?

He certainly hopes so. Especially since he has not won a single Professional Squash Association (PSA) title since his last triumph

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Wednesday March 5, 2008

Squash: Big boost for Nicol


By AFTAR SINGH


KUALA LUMPUR: World number one Nicol David has received a big boost for her defence of the CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open squash championship title.

CIMB Investment Bank have renewed their sponsorship of the Malaysian woman squash star for another two years until 2010.

The bank's deputy chief executive, Charon Wardini Mokhzani, said that they were happy to continue their sponsorship of Nicol as her track record in world squash had been astounding.

揌er ability to maintain her position at the top of the Wispa rankings for the last 20 months is reflection of her skills, perseverance and commitment to the sports.

揥hat impresses us most is her determination and will to succeed,'' said Charon after signing the sponsorships deal with Nicol yesterday.

All smiles: Nicol David shaking hands with CIMB Investment Bank deputy chief executive Charon Wardini Mokhzani after signing a two-year contract extension on Tuesday. Looking on is Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) president Datuk A. Sani Karim.

However, Nicol chose not to reveal the amount of the sponsorship.

揑 thank CIMB for the sponsorship, which will be a big boost for my squash career. The sponsorship will definitely inspire me to achieve better results in the Wispa tournaments this year,'' said Nicol, who won eight titles on the circuit last year.

Nicol said that she would compete in 11 tournaments this year and her main goals were to win the prestigious British Open in May and the World Open in Manchester in October.

In the British Open last year, Nicol failed in the defence of the title, losing to third seed Rachael Grinham of Australia in the final. She also failed in the defence of the World Open title, crashing to a second-round defeat by Shelley Kitchen of New Zealand.

The KL Open begins today and Nicol, who will be gunning for the title for the fifth time, has Rachael and Kitchen in her half of the draw. Nicol plays against team-mate Sharon Wee in the first round and is tipped to meet the sixth seeded Kitchen in the quarter-finals.

On her chances against Kitchen and the third seeded Rachael, Nicol said that she needed to first keep her focus on the match against Sharon.

Nicol has had a good start to the season. She won the Apawamis Open in New York in February and a week later bagged her sixth Asian individual title in Kuwait. The KL Open is her second Wispa tournament this year.

World number two and Natalie Grinham have switched nationality and the Australia-born player will be representing Holland in the KL Open.

The Malaysian challenge in the men's competition will be led by newly-crowned Asian champion Mohd Azlan Iskandar, who is seeded third, and Ong Beng Hee, who is seeded fourth. Azlan won the title in 2006 while Beng Hee has yet to win the tournament.

The first-round matches will be held at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil today and matches from the quarter-finals will be held at the Berjaya Times Square.

amazed

Thursday March 6, 2008

Squash: A stroll for Nicol


By AFTAR SINGH


KUALA LUMPUR: World number one Nicol David hardly raised a sweat to breeze into the quarter-finals of the CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open squash championships at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil here yesterday.

The Penangite, who is gunning to win the title for the fifth time, took only 21 minutes to outplay team-mate Sharon Wee 9-2, 9-0, 9-5 in the first round.

Nicol, who has been the top ranked player in the world for the last 20 months, will play against unseeded Laura Lengthorn Massaro of England today for a place in the semi-finals.

Hotshot: Nicol David goes for a return during her opening match against Sharon Wee at the KL Open squash championships Wednesday. Nicol won 9-2, 9-0, 9-5. KAMAL SELLEHUDDIN / The Star

The Englishwoman advanced with a surprise 9-7, 3-9, 9-1, 7-9, 9-4 victory in 69 minutes over sixth seed Shelley Kitchen of New Zealand.

Nicol said that the match against Sharon was a good warm-up for her.
揑 have never played against Sharon for a long time. She gave me a good fight in the third set. It was a good first-round match and I hope to play better in the glass court (at the Berjaya Times Square) tomorrow,

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Trio negara ke separuh akhir

KUALA LUMPUR - Ratu skuasy negara, Nicol David mengetuai pemain negara termasuk Azlan Iskandar dan Ong Beng Hee meneruskan kemaraan ke persaingan separuh akhir Terbuka Kuala Lumpur di Berjaya Times Square di sini, semalam, lapor ABDUL HAFIZ AHMAD.

Nicol dan Azlan menempah tiketnya agak mudah menerusi set terus, namun Beng Hee diheret sehingga empat set dan tie-breaker sebelum dapat mencerahkan peluang Malaysia meraih gelaran berganda kejohanan bernilai AS$103,500 (RM327,649).

Nicol selaku pilihan utama menewaskan pemain England, Laura Lengthorn-Massaro 9-4, 9-3, 9-4 dalam perlawanan suku akhir wanita yang memakan masa setengah jam.

Juara dunia kelahiran Pulau Pinang itu akan menghadapi rakan senegara Laura, Alison Waters yang mengejutkan pilihan ketiga dari Australia, Rachael Grinham 9-2, 9-4, 7-9, 4-9, 9-2 selepas bertarung lebih sejam.

Azlan, pemain nombor satu lelaki Malaysia dan pilihan ketiga, melepasi pemain England, Jonathan Kemp 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 dalam tempoh 35 minit tetapi Beng Hee terpaksa bergelut sejam untuk menjinakkan Omar Mosaad dari Mesir 11-9, 5-11, 11-2, 13-11.

Azlan, kelahiran Kuching, Sarawak, akan berentap dalam separuh akhir dengan seorang lagi pemain England, Adrian Grant yang menewaskan Mansoor Zaman dari Pakistan 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 dalam tempoh 40 minit.

Beng Hee pula berdepan dengan tugas yang lebih getir apabila menghadapi pilihan utama dari Australia, Stewart Boswell yang menundukkan Aamir Atlas Khan dari Pakistan 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 dalam satu lagi suku akhir.

Kata Nicol, dia hanya mengasak Lengthorn- Massaro untuk melakukan kesilapan demi kesilapan biarpun lawan cuba memperdaya dia bermain mengikut rentak yang sama.

"Saya akui cahaya lampu di gelanggang ini agak mengganggu saya dan pemain lain tetapi kami perlu membiasakan diri dan tentangan mereka didapati semakin sengit malah menaikkan mutu persaingan kali ini," katanya.

Sementara itu kata Beng Hee, dia menjangkakan tentangan Boswell dalam kejohanan lima bintang (bagi bahagian lelaki) lebih sengit hari ini apatah lagi mereka berdua sering berlatih bersama dan masing-masing sudah mengenali corak permainan lawan.

"Saya rasa agak bertuah dapat melepasi Omar terutama apabila masuk set ketiga dan saya menemui momentum permainan yang diharapkan. Pujian kepadanya dalam perlawanan 50-50 ini tetapi menentang Boswell pasti lebih menarik," katanya.

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Nicol tentukan kejuaraan - Azlan, Beng Hee bertemu di final kategori lelaki

Oleh: ABDUL HAFIZ AHMAD


[table=300][tr][td]
[/td][/tr][tr][td]AKSI Nicol David (kanan) menentang pemain England, Alison Water pada Kejohanan Skuasy Terbuka Kuala Lumpur CIMB di Berjaya Time Square, Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

amazed

Gelaran juara sudah pasti milik Malaysia

Oleh YASMIN RAMAN




AKSI Azlan (depan) ketika menentang Adrian Grant pada peringkat separuh akhir Terbuka Kuala Lumpur CIMB semalam.GELARAN juara bagi kategori lelaki sudah tentunya milik Malaysia apabila dua pemain negara, Mohd. Azlan Iskandar dan Ong Beng Hee berjaya menewaskan lawan masing-masing pada pusingan separuh akhir Kejohanan Skuasy Terbuka Kuala Lumpur CIMB 2008 di Berjaya Times Square semalam.

Kemaraan Beng Hee dan Azlan pada perlawanan akhir hari ini mengulangi pencapaian dua tahun lalu.

Azlan yang memenangi kejohanan edisi 2003 dan 2006 berkata, dia bersyukur kerana berjaya menewaskan pemain England, Adrian Grant 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 untuk menempah slot ke perlawanan akhir walaupun aksi pada set kedua dan ketiga agak hambar.

"Ia merupakan perlawanan yang menarik dan Grant memberi tentangan sengit kepada saya. Saya tidak dapat menemui rentak perlawanan pada set kedua dan ketiga untuk mengawal perlawanan.

"Pada set ketiga Grant mendahului perlawanan 9-5 dan waktu itu saya cuba fokus dan mengawal rentak perlawanan dan saya berjaya melakukannya," kata Azlan.

Beng Hee pula yang turun sebagai pemain pilihan utama mengharungi laluan mudah untuk mara ke perlawanan akhir apabila menewaskan pemain Australia, Stewart Boswell 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 dalam tempoh 46 minit.

Menurut Beng Hee, walaupun dia ketinggalan pada set pertama tetapi kembali bangkit mengawal perlawanan bagi untuk mematikan rentak Boswell.

"Saya lebih yakin dengan perlawanan hari ini (semalam) berbanding aksi sebelum ini.
"Boswell tidak mempamerkan aksi yang memberangsangkan dan dia banyak melakukan kesilapan. Dari situ saya mengekalkan rentak perlawanan dan cuba memungut mata," kata Beng Hee.

Bagi kedua-dua pemain negara itu, perlawanan akhir hari ini bakal menjanjikan saingan sengit lebih-lebih lagi dengan peningkatan yang dipamerkan oleh Azlan kebelakangan ini.