|
|
Nicol tiada tandingan
RATU skuasy negara Nicol Ann David mampu mencipta lebih banyak kejayaan dunia dan dapat muncul sebaris dengan tokoh sukan tersohor seperti Tiger Woods dan bekas bintang tenis Steffi Graf, kata bekas jurulatihnya Mejar (B) S Maniam.
Menurutnya, Nicol, 24, kini menjadi pemain matang dan bukan sahaja bergantung kepada kecergasan fizikal tetapi kemampuan menyeluruh dalam skuasy dan tidak ada pemain lawan dapat menandinginya sekarang.
揃eliau memiliki bakat besar dan saya berpendapat dia akan memecah rekod dalam skuasy wanita. Dia akan memang lebih banyak gelaran dan menjadi legenda sama seperti Jahanghir Khan dari Pakistan yang menguasai dunia skuasy lelaki pada tahun 70-an dan 80-an.
揃uat masa ini, saya tidak nampak sesiapa yang dapat bersaing untuk menggugat kedudukan Nicol kerana dia telah meninggalkan jurang besar dengan pemain lain, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sharon likely to join Nicol in main draw of Seoul City Open
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's Sharon Wee looks set to gain an easy entry into the main draw of the US$50,000 Seoul City Open squash championship starting tomorrow with the qualifying tournament.
The national number two received a bye in the first round of the qualifying tournament.
Sharon, the world number 19, is drawn to meet either Japan's Mami Nishio or Eun Chan-ahn of South Korea in her final qualifying match today.
A win see Sharon joining Nicol David in the main draw of tournament which starts tomorrow.
If Sharon qualifies for the main draw, she faces an uphill task in the first round.
She could end up facing England's Laura Lengthorn, the seventh seed, England's fourth seed Tania Bailey, Australian Natalie Grinham, the second seed or her compatriot Nicol.
Nicol, the world number one who is bidding to win her fourth consecutive title this year, is the top seed.
The qualifying tournament is being held at the Sejong University squash courts while the tournament proper will be played at the Seoul Plaza. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nicol hampiri gelaran keempat
KUALA LUMPUR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rekod kebal Nicol lebur
KUALA LUMPUR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nicol: Saya tak rasa tertekan
Oleh Hamdan Saaid
RENTETAN rekod kemenangannya di pentas antarabangsa sudah tercalar namun ratu skuasy negara Nicol David tidak berasa tertekan dan sebaliknya menganggap ia bukan penghalang buatnya untuk terus melakar kejuaraan.
Kelmarin, pemain nombor satu dunia itu dikejutkan oleh pencabar terdekatnya, Natalie Grinham dari Australia yang menang mudah 9-4, 9-4, 9-0 pada saingan final Terbuka Wanita Bandaraya Seoul di Korea Selatan.
Lantas, rekod 51 kemenangan berturut-turut di kejohanan antarabangsa milik Olahragawati Negara 2006 itu berkubur begitu juga impiannya untuk meraih kejuaraan ke-20 sepanjang kariernya sejak bertukar ke era profesional tujuh tahun lalu.
揝aya terlalu banyak berfikir dan fokus saya tidak betul, tetapi dia beraksi dengan begitu bagus. Saya cuba melakukan sesuatu tetapi dia lebih selesa dan saya tidak dapat mencari jalan untuk kembali melawan, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squash: Yoke Wah joins Nafzahizam, Delia in semis
By S. SIVABALAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Nafzahizam Adnan, Delia Arnold and Lim Yoke Wah lived up to their billing to reach the semi-finals of the NSC Satellite No. 3 squash tournament at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil here yesterday.
Nafzahizam, the third seed, scored an 11-5, 5-11, 11-2, 11-5 win over England's James Snell, the seventh seed, to be Malaysia's sole representative in the men's last four.
Three other Malaysians - Nafiizwan Adnan, Kamran Khan and Ivan Yuen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nafzahizam tersungkur kepada pemain Mesir
Oleh Harris Rajahdin
PILIHAN pertama dari Mesir, Mohd Ali Anwar Reda mengecewakan harapan seorang lagi adik beradik Adnan, kali ini Mohd Nafzahizam pada final satelit No 3 Majlis Sukan Negara di Pusat Skuasy Nasional Bukit Jalil, seminggu selepas menewaskan Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan dalam final acara No 2 di gelanggang sama.
Mohd Ali menjadi batu penghalang kepada usaha Mohd Nafzahizam, 22 untuk mencatatkan kejayaan pertamanya dalam siri satelit itu selepas percubaan pertamanya digagalkan adiknya yang muda setahun, Mohd Nafiizwan dalam final acara No.1.
Pilihan ketiga dari Kuala Terengganu itu 11-5, 3-11, 3-11, 3-11 kepada lawan berusia 18 tahun itu dalam pertarungan selama 40 minit.
揇ia tidak menang, saya yang tewas kepadanya. Saya melakukan banyak kesilapan. Saya tidak melakukan voli sebanyak mungkin, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squash: Elvinn, Asyraf score upsets
By : Devinder Singh
MALAYSIANS Elvinn Keo and Muhd Asyraf Azan stunned their more fancied opponents to advance to the quarter-finals of the NSC Super Satellite No 1 event at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Elvinn knocked out sixth seeded compatriot Nafzahizam Adnan 3-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 in 32 minutes while Asyraf upset fourth seed Bilal Zaman of Pakistan 11-9, 11-10 (3-1), 11-9 in 30 minutes in the first round.
"It was just one match too far for me. The games were coming thick and fast and I paid the price for playing so many matches," said NSC Satellite No 3 runner-up Nafzahizam, who was playing his eighth match in 11 days.
Another unseeded Malaysian Ivan Yuen came within two points of upsetting fifth seeded compatriot Nafiizwan Adnan but squandered a four-point lead in the deciding game to lose 10-11 (1-3), 11-4, 4-11, 11-6, 11-10 (2-0) in an hour.
Ivan led 9-5 but Nafiizwan won the next five points to lead 10-9 and despite saving one-match point Ivan conceded the last two points of the match.
A Malaysian is assured of a semi-final berth when Nafiizwan takes on Asyraf in the last eight today while Elvinn抯 reward is a match-up with second seeded Egyptian Mohd Ali Anwar Reda, who beat Jonas Laursen of Denmark 8-11, 11-0, 11-4, 11-8.
Top seed Sharon Wee led four Malaysians into the quarter-finals in the women抯 event after a comfortable 9-1, 9-1, 9-2 win over South Korean junior Song Sun-Mi in 16 minutes.
Fourth seed Delia Arnold, who bagged her first professional title by winning the NSC Satellite No 3 event on Wednesday, beat India抯 Anwesha Reddy 9-5, 9-1, 10-9 and will meet compatriot Siti Munirah Jusoh, who saw off Surbhi Misra of India 3-9, 9-0, 9-1, 9-1.
Sixth seed Lim Yoke Wah accounted for Malaysia抯 top junior Low Wee Wern 9-3, 9-6, 9-1 and next faces second seed Line Hansen after the Dane beat Low Wee Nee 9-2, 9-2, 9-1. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Azlan reigns supreme in San Francisco
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia抯 Mohd Azlan Iskandar scored his second win over a higher-ranked player in two days when he beat favourite John White in four games to win the US$25,000 North American Squash Open men抯 title at the Bay Club in San Francisco on Saturday.
In their first-ever professional tour meeting, the third-seeded Azlan upstaged the top-seeded Scot 10-11 (4-6), 11-8, 11-2, 11-7 in the final.
In the semi-finals on Friday, Azlan, the world number 19, beat England抯 Adrian Grant, the world number 15 and second seed, 11-4, 11-10 (11-9), 4-11, 11-7.
It was Azlan抯 ninth professional title in 14 tour final appearances but his first since winning the Kuala Lumpur Open in February last year.
The success in the US has marked a notable return to form for the 24-year-old Malaysian, who has slipped seven rungs down the world rankings since achieving a career high at number 12 a year ago. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sharon in final, Nafiizwan bows out
By S. SIVABALAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia抯 Sharon Wee remained on course to win her first title of the year after beating compatriot Delia Arnold to reach the women抯 final of the NSC Super Satellite No.1 squash tournament at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil here yesterday.
But Malaysian interest in the men抯 event ended after Nafiizwan Adnan fell to Egypt抯 Mohd Ali Reda in the semi-finals.
Top seed Sharon slogged for a 9-3, 9-5, 2-9, 0-9, 9-2 semi-final win over Delia in 58 minutes. She will play against Line Hansen of Denmark in the final. The second-seeded Hansen defeated Margriet Huisman of Holland 4-9, 9-4, 9-6, 9-7 in the other semi-final.
Sharon appeared to be heading for an easy win over Delia after taking the first two games. But Delia clawed back to take the match to the distance.
In the decider, Delia allowed Sharon to take 7-0 early lead.
But it was no easy task for Sharon to claim victory and she had to dig deep into her reserves to win the next two points.
揑t was a tough match but I expected it. You can no longer expect to go into any match on the Tour and have it easy against your opponent, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beng Hee remains positive despite career downturn
By S. SIVABALAN
PETALING JAYA: The year is not going as planned for national number one men's squash player Ong Beng Hee.
He wanted to make a steady progress up the world rankings and get among the top 10 by the end of the year.
Beng Hee, who has a career high at number seven in the world rankings in 2002 and 2003, started out the year in 16 spot but is now two rungs down. He dropped out of the top 10 in 2004.
The Penangite is well aware of the tough tasks ahead of him in the second half of the year. And the former world junior champion is using the one-month break from professional tournaments to brush up on his game.
揚hysically, I have no problem coping with the big players. I just need more confidence to take on the players in the top 10, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skuasy: Remaja negara berpeluang rangkul gelaran juara
PULAU PINANG |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beng Hee mara ke final
PEMAIN skuasy nombor satu negara, Ong Beng Hee mara ke final kedua tahun ini - kali ini dalam pusingan akhir Grand Prix Persatuan Skuasy Profesional British (BSPA) selepas menewaskan Ben Ford pada separuh akhir di Kelab Sukan Ipswich, kelmarin.
Naib juara Terbuka Antarabangsa COAS, Pakistan, akhir Mac lalu mudah menewaskan bukan pilihan dari England itu, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8.
Lawannya dalam final nanti adalah Peter Barker dari England yang menewaskan Simon Parke, 11-7, 11-4, 13-11 pada satu lagi pertemuan empat terakhir.
Menyedari lawannya keletihan selepas bertarung sengit ke atas pilihan utama, Adrian Grant, Beng Hee mula mengasaknya dari awal.
揝aya mengetahui Ben pastinya keletihan semalam (Khamis), jadi saya mengekalkan tahap kelajuan permainan, sungguh pun ia memenatkan saya, ia lebih memenatkan dirinya, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squash: Beng Hee loses in BSPA Grand Prix final
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia' Ong Beng Hee failed in his attempt to capture the British Squash Professional Association (BSPA) Grand Prix Finals title, losing to England's Peter Barker in the final in Ipswich on Saturday.
Beng Hee, the third-fourth seed and world number 18, went down fighting 11-6, 8-11, 11-10 (3-1), 2-11, 8-11 to the top seeded Barker, who is ranked 16th in the world.
The BSPA Grand Prix Finals are not a professional championships and do not offer any world ranking points. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squash: Asyraf, Wee Wern bag junior titles
PENANG: Federal Territory's Muhd Asyraf Azan and Penang's Low Wee Wern lived up to their top billings to bag the Under-19 titles in the Penang International Junior Squash Championships on Sunday.
But the duo took contrasting routes to glory in the finals at the Penang International Squash Centre.
Wee Wern hardly raised a sweat in a clinical 9-0, 9-2, 9-3 demolition of Australian Melody Francis in the girls' final.
Asyraf, who had laboured to victory in the previous two rounds, continued the trend when he made heavy weather of Australian Peter Taylor's challenge in the boys' final.
Despite not playing at his best, Asyraf was good enough to register a 7-9, 9-3, 9-4, 11-9 win and bowed out of the junior scene on a winning note. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squash:Nafiizwan makes a lucky escape
DEVINDER SINGH
NAFIIZWAN Adnan was the sole Malaysian survivor after Nafzahizam Adnan and Elvinn Keo bit the dust in the quarter-finals of the NSC Super Satellite No 2 PSA Tour event at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Second seed Nafiizwan was taken the distance by Egyptian qualifier Wael Farag before registering a 11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 6-11, 11-8 win in 56 minutes.
Nafiizwan, 22, will be making his fourth semi-final appearance in a PSA Tour event this year and admitted he was lucky to escape with a win.
Nafiizwan, who won the NSC Super Satellite No 1 event in April, will be chasing a spot in the final against Tom Pashley of England.
Sixth seed Pashley saw off Nafzahizam, the fourth seed, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 in 27 minutes with the Malaysian saving two match points but to no avail.
Elvinn gave Kuwait's third seed Bader Al Hussaini a tough fight before going down 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9 in a match which became physical in the fourth game. Elvinn, who suffered a cut on his lips for his troubles, saved a match point to edge to 9-10 only for the Kuwaiti to hit the match winner in the next point.
In the last four, Al Hussaini faces top seed Chris Ryder of England who came through with a 11-5, 11-6, 11-4 win over compatriot Eddie Charlton.
RESULTS - Quarter-finals: Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas) bt Wael Farag (Egy) 11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 6-11, 11-8; Tom Pashley (Eng) bt Nafzahizam Adnan (Mas) 11-6, 11-4, 11-9; Bader Al Hussaini (Kuw) bt Elvinn Keo (Mas) 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9; Chris Ryder (Eng) bt Eddie Charlton (Eng) 11-5, 11-6, 11-4. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squash: Easy route to final for Nicol
By : K. M. BOOPATHY
WORLD No 1 Nicol David抯 chances of returning to the winning track have been made easier after receiving a favourable Malaysia Open draw.
Nicol is expected to cruise into the final of the July 25-28 championship but major rival Natalie Grinham of Australia, the World No 2, will have to overcome three tough opponents if she hopes to keep her date.
Nicol was beaten by Natalie in their last meeting, the Korea Open final in March, but the latter抯 campaign starts with a tricky first round match against Alison Waters of England.
This will be followed by an expected quarter-final clash against former world champion Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands and a win will pit the Australian against last year抯 runner-up Tania Bailey of England.
Nicol抯 title defence will not be as tough as she meets compatriot Tricia Chuah in the first round and this will be followed by another easy encounter against Egypt抯 Omneya Abdel Kawy in the last eight.
Natalie抯 sister Rachael, the third seed, could give some resistance to Nicol but the Malaysian, who has beaten her Australian rival in all six meetings over the last 12 months, is not expected to face any problems.
Matches between Nicol and Natalie have always gone the distance and another gripping encounter, if it happens, is expected to take place at the Curve Shopping Centre, Damansara on July 28.
Victory will give Nicol her fourth professional title of the year as she has already won the Kuala Lumpur Open, Kuwait Open and Qatar Classic. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nicol masih bertahan untuk bergelar pemain skuasy nombor satu dunia
KUALA LUMPUR - Kedudukan ratu skuasy Malaysia, Nicol David sebagai pemain nombor satu dunia belum mampu dipintas apabila dia mengekalkan kedudukan teratas ranking terbaru Persatuan Pemain Skuasy Wanita Antarabangsa (WISPA), semalam.
Nicol, 23, merampas kedudukan nombor satu dunia buat kali pertama pada Januari, tahun lalu, namun tempatnya kembali dipintas oleh Vanessa Atkinson dari Belanda pada Julai, 2006.
Begitu pun, Nicol merampas semula ranking teratas dunia pada Ogos, 2006 dan sejak itu, dia tidak lagi menoleh ke belakang dan mengekalkan tempatnya sehingga Julai, 2007.
Antara kejayaan yang telah mengukuhkan kedudukan pemain kelahiran Pulau Pinang itu adalah memenangi tujuh gelaran Jelajah Dunia, termasuk mempertahankan kejuaraan dunia dan Terbuka Britain.
Tiada perubahan berlaku dalam 20 kedudukan teratas ranking dunia bagi bulan Julai semalam dengan pemain Australia, Natalie Grinham kekal mengekori di tangga kedua, manakala kakaknya, Rachel Grinham di tangga ketiga.
Pemain England, Tania Bailey pula mengekori di rangking keempat dunia, diikuti Natalie Grainger dari Amerika Syarikat, kelima.
Sementara itu Amir Shabana dari Mesir mengekalkan kedudukan nombor satu dunia lelaki untuk bulan ke-16 berturut-turut sejak merampas kedudukan tersebut pada April, 2006.
Amr, yang memenangi lima kejuaraan Siri Super Dunia meninggalkan rakan senegaranya, Ramy Ashour di tangga kedua, sementara David Palmer dari Australia ketiga. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Post time 18-4-2007 08:52 AM
Post time 21-4-2007 12:16 PM
