Malaysia Celebrates Unexpected Asian Championship Double by Howard Harding
May 6th, 2011The 2011
PBA-Nusmetro Asian Squash Championships produced a dream home double
for host nation Malaysia - but whilst world number one Nicol David was
expected to win the women's title at the new Nicol David International
Squash Centre in her hometown Penang, few would have bet that the men's
crown would go to Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, a 3/4 seed from Terengganu in
north east Malaysia.
Nicol David swept through the high quality women's field to reach the final without dropping a game.
By contrast, her opponent Annie Au, the No2 seed from Hong Kong, had
taken 86 minutes to overpower rising Malaysian star Low Wee Wern - also
from Penang - 12-10, 10-12, 13-11, 12-10.
Spurred on by a passionate and loyal crowd that included her family -
and in the squash facility that bears her name - David was relentless
and never allowed world No10 Au into the match.
"Annie is a player that, if you let her get into her rhythm, it becomes
a very different game," said the Malaysian superstar after her 11-3,
11-2, 11-5 triumph in just 23 minutes.
"I wanted to make sure she didn't!"
Nicol David has been unbeaten in the event since first competing in the
1998 championships in Kuala Lumpur as a 14-year-old. The 2011 title
extends her reign to eight successive titles!
It was after upsetting Pakistan's No2 seed Farhan Mehboob in four games
in the semi-finals that Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, ranked 45 in the world,
reached the men's final for the first time.
His opponent was seasoned compatriot Ong Beng Hee, the event favourite
from Kuala Lumpur who has only once failed to reach the final since
2000 and won the title four times in a row until 2006.
But 25-year-old underdog 'Wan' defeated former world No7 Ong 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 in a tenacious and physical 64-minute final.
"I thought if I kept him behind me, I could outplay him at the front," said an exuberant Adnan.
Ong Beng Hee fought to the end as he was pushed by the raucous crowd
who favoured him. "I'm disappointed with my performance today, but Wan
played well as he had all tournament," said the former champion.
Issued by Howard Harding on behalf of the World Squash Federation