15-Sep:
Nicol David Seeded To Win Third World Open Title In Manchester
Malaysia’s Nicol David has been seeded to win her third World
Open title at The Hi-Tec World Squash Championships – Manchester
2008 which will run from 11-19 October at the National Squash Centre
in the English city of Manchester.
The 25-year-old has been the dominant force in women’s squash since
winning the first of her successive World Opens in 2005 - but
suffered a shock defeat to New Zealand’s Shelley Kitchen in the
second round last year, which was the first time she had failed to
make the quarter-finals of a WISPA World Tour event since April
2004.
David, who was honoured earlier this year with a Datukship by her
native country, bounced straight back to form and has won all nine
Tour events she has played in since and has gone on to extend her
stay at the world number one position for a remarkable 26 straight
months.
The Penang-based star will play fellow Malaysian Sharon Wee
in the opening round and is seeded to meet England’s Laura
Lengthorn-Massaro (seeded 8) in the quarter-finals before a
potential clash with America’s number four seed Natalie Grainger in
the semi-finals.
Defending champion Rachael Grinham from Australia has been
seeded two to recapture the title which she won in the first
all-sister World Open final in Madrid last October when overcoming
Natalie Grinham in straight games.
The 31-year-old is seeded to meet England’s Vicky Botwright
(seeded 11) and Alison Waters (seeded 7) in the second and
third rounds, respectively, before a potential re-match with her
sister, who has been seeded three, in the semi-finals.
England’s Jenny Duncalf, who beat Rachael Grinham on her way
to the final of the prestigious Dunlop British Open earlier this
year, has been seeded five, and leads domestic interest in the
event.
Tania Bailey, the world number seven from England, is the
only notable absentee from the draw after being forced to miss out
due to an ongoing troublesome knee injury which has plagued her for
much of the season.
First Round Draw:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) v Sharon Wee (MAS)
[13] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) v Lauren Briggs (ENG)
[8] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (ENG) v Annelize Naude (NED)
[9] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v Qualifier
[4] Natalie Grainger (USA) v Qualifier
[10] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) v Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL)
[6] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) v Qualifier
[14] Madeline Perry (IRL) v Engy Kheirallah (EGY)
[12] Kasey Brown (AUS) v Qualifier
[5] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v Raneem El Weleily (EGY)
[16] Samantha Teran (MEX) v Qualifier
[3] Natalie Grinham (NED) v Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG)
[15] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) v Qualifier
[7] Alison Waters (ENG) v Qualifier
[11] Vicky Botwright (ENG) v Qualifier
[2] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Louise Crome (NZL)
Qualifiers:
1. Latasha Khan (Usa), 2. Line Hansen (Den), 3. Manuela Manetta
(Ita), 4. Annie Au (Hkg), 5. Sarah Kippax (Eng), 6. Suzie Pierrepont
(Eng), 7. Aisling Blake (Irl), 8. Delia Arnold (Mas), 9. Orla Noom
(Ned), 10. Joshna Chinappa (Ind), 11. Amelia Pittock (Aus), 12.
Lauren Siddall (Eng), 13. Alana Miller (Can), 14. Elise Ng (Hkg),
15. Camille Serme (Fra), 16. Laura Hill (Eng), 17. Emma Beddoes
(Eng), 18. Laura Mylotte (Irl), 19. Tara Mullins (Can), 20. Low Wee
Wern (Mas), 21. Runa Reta (Can), 22. Georgina Stoker (Eng), 23.
Dipika Pallikal (Ind), 24. Vicky Hynes (Eng), 25. Fiona Moverley
(Eng) *, 26. Emma Chorley (Eng)*, 27. Lucie Fialova (Cze) ~, 28.
Anna-Carin Forstadius (Swe)~, 29. Lauren Selby (Eng)*, 30. Jenna
Gates (Eng) *, 31. Luz Etchechoury (Arg)~, 32. Tatiana Damasio
Borges (Bra)~
* Host country wildcards ~ WSF invitees (highest ranked from
countries not represented, by region) |
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World Open
Showing the enormous global appeal of women’s squash, no fewer than
eleven countries are represented among the top 16 seeds
(Malaysia, Hong Kong, England, Egypt, USA, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Ireland, Australia, Mexico and France).
England have the strongest representation with four seeds, followed
by Australia and the Netherlands who have two each.
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