CIMB Malaysian
Open
2008
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 21/26 Jul, $53k+$52k
26-Jul,
Finals:
[1] Nicol David (Mas) bt [2] Natalie Grinham (Ned)
11/1, 11/4, 11/6 (31m)
[2] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) bt [3] Azlan Iskandar (Mas)
11/6, 8/11, 4/11, 12/10, 11/8 (96m)
Double home delight in KL
It was a popular home double in the CIMB Malaysian Open when
Malaysians Nicol David and Ong Beng Hee clinched the women's and
men's titles, respectively, at the Curve Complex in Kuala Lumpur.
No stranger to Squash history-making, Nicol David added a further
entry to the records by becoming the first winner of a WISPA World
Tour title to be decided by the international player body's new
'Pro-Scoring' system.
And, after taking four games to win her previous two matches, the
world number one from Penang gave every indication that she is now
fully comfortable with point-a-rally game scoring to 11 points by
beating Tour rival Natalie Grinham 11-1, 11-4, 11-6 in just 31
minutes.
"The
final was my best game in the tournament. I could feel everything
coming together, my focus was there and my shots were all going in.
"Natalie did not play her best and made a number of errors, I just
took that advantage.
"It wasn’t such an easy game, actually. I had to work harder to make
it through."
Hallmark of a champ - single-mindedness and humility
Malaysia Star -
Malaysia
EARLIER this week, two-time world squash champion Nicol David
gave her first press conference since she was conferred a Datukship.
...
It was a battle between
the two top players in the world - and David ensured that she will
continue to hold the world number one ranking next month by
extending her career head-to-head tally over the Australian-born
world No2, now playing under the Dutch flag, to 13-6.
The victory, in her sixth successive appearance in the final, marked
David's fourth Malaysian Open title in a row. The win also notched
up David's 30th consecutive match success on the Tour - and her
seventh successive title since winning the Qatar Classic in
November.
The final of the men's event produced a real treat for the KL crowd
surrounding the brand new Malaysian all-glass court making its debut
at the Curve Shopping Mall. Second seed Ong Beng Hee faced national
rival Azlan Iskandar, the defending champion who was seeded in third
position.
With two titles each to their names, the final was sure to be close
- and after Beng Hee took the first game, reigning champion Iskandar
fought back to lead 2/1 - then held three match balls at 10-7 in the
fourth.
But Beng Hee - the first home winner of the crown in 2000, then the
champion again in 2005 - regained the upper hand and went on to
claim victory after 96 minutes.
Remarkably, it was the pair's third PSA Tour match which exceeded 95
minutes - the first lasting 102 minutes, in the 2005 Malaysian Open
semi-finals.
The victory takes Ong Beng Hee's career PSA Tour title tally to 12 -
and is sure to see the 28-year-old return to the world top ten, and
close in on the highest world ranking of seven which he established
in December 2001.
"I was
very lucky to win really, I was running on empty towards the end
after tough matches in the earlier rounds.
"Azlan played well in the second and third and he put me under
tremendous pressure in the fourth when he led 10-7.
"I just gave it my best and I was delighted to win that game, which
proved to be the turning point in the match. To come back from three
match points down made me very confident in the fifth game and
although I was tired, my shots were good and I'm happy to have won."
"Overall, I don’t think I had a good tournament as my shots were not
working well. Nevertheless, I am overjoyed to win my second home
title this year.
"I would like to thank my coach Jamshed Gul for helping me in
training and also the home crowd for supporting me ..."
CIMB Malaysian
Open
2008
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 21-26 Jul, $53k
25-Jul,
Semi-Finals:
Hopes for Home Double in KL
as Azlan KO's Wael ...
Malaysia's
defending champion Azlan Iskandar produced a stunning upset
over Egyptian favourite Wael El Hindi in the men's semi-finals of
the CIMB Malaysian Open to ensure that three of Saturday's four
finalists at the Curve Complex in Kuala Lumpur will be from the host
nation.
Third seed Iskandar, the 26-year-old from KL in his fifth successive
appearance in the event's semi-finals, battled for 78 minutes to
subdue El Hindi - finally earning his first PSA Tour victory over
the higher-ranked Egyptian since prevailing in the 2004 final.
"I
tried to break his rhythm, tried to break the pace and use the
skills to the maximum.
"I try my best to feel I am not at home - but playing here sometimes
helps me and sometimes doesn't.
"Today I didn't hear a thing until seven-all in the fourth! At that
point I really didn't know what I was doing and froze a bit. But
then I let my racket do its thing."
Fellow countryman Ong Beng Hee,
the No2 seed, also took four games to secure his place in the final,
beating fourth-seeded Australian Stewart Boswell in 62 minutes.
Both finalists are celebrating their third Tour final appearances of
the year, but while Iskandar is marking the 19th of his career, it
is Ong's 20th since making his debut in the Milo Open final in 1996,
also in KL.
But, perhaps more remarkably, Saturday's clash will be the pair's
sixth successive meeting in a major final - after contesting the KL
Open, Asian Championship and Asian Games finals in 2006, then the
Asian Championship and KL Open climaxes earlier this year.
The final of the women's event will feature the top two seeds, with
local heroine Nicol David now just one win away from her
fourth title in a row. But the top seed and world number one from
Penang was pushed to four games for the second successive day before
beating career-long rival Rachael Grinham, the world champion from
Australia in 43 minutes.
David will now face another Grinham, Rachael's younger sister
Natalie Grinham. The second seed stemmed a spirited comeback
display by England's Tania Bailey before beating the fourth seed -
playing her first event since undergoing knee surgery in 41 minutes.
The final will mark the third meeting this year between the world's
top two players - and the 19th of their careers, with the Malaysian
boasting a 12-6 head-to-head advantage. But while Nicol is recording
the 43rd WISPA final of her career, Natalie is celebrating her 30th.
"I
didn't have a good start. This week is not my best squash but I
think I've improved my performance. The home crowd really helped me
today and yesterday.
"In the first game, I was too cautious where I couldn't get a point.
I had a slow start because I had a 90-minute match yesterday and my
body couldn't get going until after the first game.
"So, I decided to be very attacking and be more aggressive. The
third game was crucial. It was the game I needed.
"At the moment, I'm happy that Azlan and I have won the semifinals.
We've proved that we can be among the top 10 players in the world if
we put our mind into it.
"Azlan played very well, he wanted to defend the title. As for me,
whoever wins tomorrow the title belongs to Malaysia. May the best
man win tomorrow."
"I
just played a good game. Rachael didn't start her best and made a
lot of errors and I took advantage of that. I got my rhythm.
"In the second game, I started making a few errors, entering the
third and fourth game, I just couldn't let her in again. I brought
my level up and made sure I kept those rallies going and put
pressure on her."
Australian
sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham were severely tested in
the quarter-finals of the CIMB Malaysian Open before taking their
anticipated places in the last four at the Curve Shopping Complex in
Kuala Lumpur.
Third seed Rachael, the world champion from Queensland, was taken to
extra points in her first three games against Laura
Lengthorn-Massaro before finally getting the better of the eighth
seed from England in 48 minutes.
Rachael now goes on to face local favourite Nicol David, the
world number one from Malaysia who also dropped a game before
clinching victory over long-time rival Omneya Abdel Kawy, the
seventh seed from Egypt.
Natalie, the world No2 who now competes under the Dutch flag,
battled for five games before overcoming England's fifth seed Jenny
Duncalf in 54 minutes.
The second seed will now take on Duncalf's England team-mate
Tania Bailey. Playing in her first event for four months, after
undergoing knee surgery, Bailey again scored a notable triumph by
beating New Zealand's sixth seed Shelley Kitchen in straight games.
"I was stiff this morning, but not quite as achy as I expected,"
explained the fourth seed. "I iced my knee, sat on ice too and had a
massage.
"Luckily I was able to control the ball, hit it down the line
because it clings so well on this court and try and keep it away
from Shelley's racket. But I got a bit nervy at the end as I
couldn't believe I could actually be winning!"
There were contrasting victories for the two Malaysians in the men's
event. While defending champion Azlan Iskandar needed just 18
minutes to despatch Pakistan's Mansoor Zaman, compatriot Ong Beng
Hee - the second seed who, like Iskandar, is also a two-time
champion - battled for 90 minutes against Farhan Mehboob, recovering
from two games down to beat the seventh-seeded Pakistani.
But the toughest game of the day was the first fought out by
Stewart Boswell and Omar Mosaad - the fourth-seeded Boswell
ultimately earning the early lead by virtue of a 26-24 game score -
a near record points total.
Mosaad, the fifth seed from Egypt, then struck back to take the lead
going into the fourth game.
But Boswell, the Canberra-based 29-year-old who is also on a
comeback trail after a back injury, restored his advantage to win
after 87 minutes.
Boswell faces Beng Hee in one semi-final, whilst - in a repeat of
the 2004 final - Iskandar takes on event favourite Wael El Hindi
in the other.
"The
scoring is on my mind at the moment. It's like you are in control
but suddenly you are second guessing yourself when you have a chance
to put the ball away.
"You approach it differently because of the consequences - it is not
comfortable yet.
"Practicing is one thing, but it is only in pressure situations in
tournaments that you get used to dealing with the different mental
thing - which is such a big part of the game."
"When
I eased off a little bit, he came back but then it is a matter of
mental pressure. He probably a bit tired from his match last night
... he had a long one.
"I don't really really think about the next match ... just relax. It
will be a mental warfare for sure. If I start thinking about it
today, I will be tired when I get into the court tomorrow.
"I have put in hard work with my coach, physical trainer and my
masseur priming me to be in top form. You need to be at your best
and if you're not, you will feel the difference."
"I
lost confidence. My focus was not the best in the first two games. I
really struggled mentally but I managed to fight back in the next
two. The last game was actually quite close.
"Today's game is a very good a wake up call for me after an easy
match yesterday. Tomorrow will be another tough game. I've played
Boswell in the semi-finals of the KL Open last March where I beat
him. But that time he had back injury and now his okay. I hope I
will continue the fine form tomorrow."
23-Jul, First Round:
Bailey battles to
KL comeback win
In
her first Tour outing since undergoing surgery on her right knee in
April, Tania Bailey battled for 55 minutes to overcome England
team-mate Alison Waters in the opening round of the CIMB Malaysian
Open to claim her place in the quarter-finals
Bailey, who acknowledged that WISPA's Pro-Scoring - the new
point-a-rally scoring system being used for the first time in the
Malaysian Open - probably helped her cause,
will now face sixth seed Shelley Kitchen after the New Zealander
beat Australian Kasey Brown.
"I
have been practicing pro-scoring for six weeks now so I've got
comfortable with it. I might think a little differently playing
somebody lower-ranked, but it is always a close tough match with
Kasey so I just concentrated on playing my game."
Local star Nicol David made a confident start in her bid to win the
title for a fourth successive time. The top seed defeated Asian
rival Rebecca Chiu, from Hong Kong and will now face Egypt's seventh
seed Omneya Abdel Kawy for a place in the last four.
Australian Stewart Boswell was also making an injury comeback in KL
in the men's 5-star PSA Tour event. Like Bailey, the fourth seed
from Canberra last played at the KL Open in March - before seeking
treatment for a back injury back in his homeland.
Boswell comfortably overcame English qualifier Tom Richards and goes
on to face fifth seed Omar Mosaad after the Egyptian fought back
from 2/1 down to beat New Zealander Kashif Shuja.
Two all-Malaysian encounters concluded with the favoured players
prevailing: Second seed Ong Beng Hee, the event's first home
champion in 2000, defeated KL-based qualifier Muhd Asyraf Azan,
while third seed Azlan Iskandar, the defending champion, beat
Nafiizwan Adnan.
"It was a typical training match but I
could not give him anything or he'd take advantage of it. I was
clinical in the first game but eased off a little in the second."
But Indian qualifier Saurav Ghosal produced the day's biggest upset
by removing eighth seed Eric Galvez. Fresh from his home-town
triumph in the Chennai Open earlier this month, Ghosal - who gained
a first class honours degree in Economics from Leeds University in
the UK this summer - despatched the Mexican in straight games.
Ghosal will now meet Wael El Hindi, the top seed from Egypt who is
competing in the championship for the first time since finishing as
runner-up for the second year in a row in 2005.
Nicol David Interview
"To
be honest, I surprised myself how well I played - I got back on
court four weeks ago after the operation and then it went bad for a
while so I have only had a week of training.
"Because I wanted to only concentrate on myself, I didn't even look
at the draw - so I only knew who I was playing a couple of days ago
when one of the girls let it slip by mistake!
"I was so looking forward to playing a match again, and I amazed
myself - it just showed how much the work I have done over the years
has helped. I've still got a lot of work to do and I am not sure how
I will feel in the morning."
"I have point-a-rally to thank, as well, as I am not sure how I
would have coped physically if the match had been even longer. In
normal circumstances, I may have been a little more defensive, but
after the layoff I had to be more attacking."
"No
doubt, she had some good shots and at the same time, my focus was a
bit up and down. I'm trying to get my game going. It was my first
match after a while. I'm trying to fine-tune a few things and
getting into the rhythm again.
"With the new point system, I just thinking ahead and make sure that
I don't make many mistakes."
Ireland's
Madeline Perry powered her way into the women's main draw
after despatching Dutch opponent Orla Noom in the
qualifying finals. Twice a
quarter-finalist in the event, the former world No6 from Banbridge,
near Belfast, took just 21 minutes to overcome Noom.
Perry's
reward is a first round clash with fellow Briton Laura
Lengthorn-Massaro, the eighth seed from England.
New Zealand's
Louise Crome survived the longest qualifying battle,
disappointing home hopes by beating Malaysia's Sharon Wee in
40 minutes. The 30-year-old Aucklander now faces world champion
Rachael Grinham, the third seed from Australia.
After a four-month
lay-off - during which she underwent knee surgery - Tania Bailey will make her
comeback at the event in which she finished as runner-up for the
past two years. The fourth seed will face English compatriot
Alison Waters, her successor as British National champion.
There was surprise
local success in the qualifying finals of the men's event when KL-based
Muhd Asyraf Azan battled for 86 minutes to overcome
Australian Ryan Cuskelly.Ranked 157 in
the world - and a successful qualifier in the event for the fourth
time since 2004 - 19-year-old Azan will face fellow countryman
Ong Beng Hee, the second seed who became the event's first home
champion in 2000.
Beng Hee won the
title again in 2005, while third-seeded compatriot Azlan Iskandar
is also a two-time champion, in 2004 and 2007. And the
defending champion also takes on a fellow countryman in the opening
round when he meets Nafiizwan Adnan, the Malaysian No3.
The CIMB Malaysian Open returns to Kuala Lumpur's
Curve shopping
mall for 2008, with home hero Nicol David - fresh from
her latest national honour in
becoming a Datuk - favourite to take a
fourth successive title.
The world number one heads a field containing the vast majority of
the world's top twenty, including Tania Bailey, runner-up in
the last two events, returning to action after an extended injury
break.
"Now that we have the mobile squash court, we will be able to
organise competitions in other parts of the country.
"But it will
very much depend on sponsors. If sponsors come forward to support
and also request for the event to be outside the Klang Valley, then
we will be prepared to oblige.''
Pro-Scoring Hails New Era
For Women's Squash In Kuala Lumpur WISPA Press Release
The
$53,500 CIMB Malaysian Open is making squash history today as the
first women's Tour event to use point-a-rally scoring.
The WISPA World Tour Gold championship introduces the first change
in scoring from the traditional 'hand-in-hand-out' system - in which
a player can only win a point when serving - which has been used
since the Women's International Squash Players' Association was
formed in 1984.
As before, all matches will be best-of-five-games - but the games
will feature point-a-rally to 11 points, the same as the scoring
used on the men’s PSA Tour.
"Scoring is a fundamental part of the game, which is why WISPA has
spent a good deal of time discussing and evaluating Pro-Scoring,"
explained WISPA Chief Executive Andrew Shelley.
"Now we have committed to it, confident in its success, and look
forward to its formal unveiling on one of our really big stages -
the CIMB Malaysian Open. And there, for the first time there will be
uniformity for the players, the spectators, huge media coverage and
in our worldwide results output. A milestone in Malaysia!"
Australia's world champion Rachael Grinham is looking forward to
seeing the effects of this new introduction: "It's a big change for
the game mentally, which I think is huge because I believe at the
top of the women's game most matches are won mentally.
"From
my experience in practice matches, I've found the pace to be much
faster, maybe because of a hint of urgency on the mind. I think it
will still take some time for everyone to get settled into the new
scoring.
"I do believe it will make matches much closer, which will be better
from the spectators' point of view. It will be interesting to see
what happens in KL," added the third seed.
The women's event (the main draw of which gets underway on Wednesday
after two days of qualifying) will also be historic for a further
reason: It will mark the first appearance on the Tour by Datuk Nicol
David since the Malaysian world number one acquired the
distinguished title in her home state of Penang earlier in the
month, becoming the youngest ever recipient of a 'Datukship'.
David is favourite to win the Malaysian Open title for a fourth
successive year - after reaching her sixth final in a row!
"The
final was my best game in the tournament. I could feel everything
coming together, my focus was there and my shots were all going in.
CIMB Malaysian
Open
2008
"I
tried to break his rhythm, tried to break the pace and use the
skills to the maximum.
"I
didn't have a good start. This week is not my best squash but I
think I've improved my performance. The home crowd really helped me
today and yesterday.
"The
scoring is on my mind at the moment. It's like you are in control
but suddenly you are second guessing yourself when you have a chance
to put the ball away. 
"I
have been practicing pro-scoring for six weeks now so I've got
comfortable with it. I might think a little differently playing
somebody lower-ranked, but it is always a close tough match with
Kasey so I just concentrated on playing my game."
"To
be honest, I surprised myself how well I played - I got back on
court four weeks ago after the operation and then it went bad for a
while so I have only had a week of training.
"No
doubt, she had some good shots and at the same time, my focus was a
bit up and down. I'm trying to get my game going. It was my first
match after a while. I'm trying to fine-tune a few things and
getting into the rhythm again.
Ireland's
Madeline Perry powered her way into the women's main draw
after despatching Dutch opponent Orla Noom in 
SRAM President
"From
my experience in practice matches, I've found the pace to be much
faster, maybe because of a hint of urgency on the mind. I think it
will still take some time for everyone to get settled into the new
scoring.