World Open squash: Nicol hurtles into quarters

Six-time champ to face Perry for a place in the semis.

GRAND CAYMAN: Titleholder Nicol David put up an impressive performance to move into the quarter-finals of the World Open in less than half an hour.

The six-time champion looked as strong a favourite as ever as she won 9-3, 9-2, 9-3 against Annie Au, the Hong Kong player who has become a regular in the world’s top ten, but was allowed no chance to show how.

“They made the ball bouncy, but at the same time this is a glass court so if you play your shots, it goes in,” said David referring to the more favourable chances of putting the ball away compared with the first round which had been played on conventionally walled indoor courts.

She now has a rest day before taking on Madeline Perry, the tenth-seeded Irish woman who beat David back in 2009 en route to the final of the British Open in Manchester. The oldest player in the top ten, Perry won 11-2, 11-9, 11-9 against the youngest, Nour El Sherbini, the 17-year-old Egyptian who still combines school with professional squash. Earlier two English players, Alison Waters, the fourth seed, and Jenny Duncalf, last year’s runner-up, also reached the last-eight, where they will play each other.

Waters saved a game point in the second game to beat Samantha Teran, the 15th-seeded Mexican, 11-5, 12-10, 11-5, while Duncalf saved a crucial game point in the first game of her 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8 win over Camille Serme, the 14th seeded French woman.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2012.