Nicol David in Bid For Historic US Open Success by Howard Harding 10 October 2014
- Malaysian Nicol David is seeded to become the first player in the
60-year history of the US Open Squash Championships - man or woman - to
win three titles in a row when the 2014 event reaches its climax next
week in Philadelphia.
The Delaware
Investments US Open, a World Series Platinum event on the Women's
Squash Association World Tour, gets underway tomorrow (Saturday) at
Drexel University, leading to the final on Saturday 18 October. Whilst
the Women's Championship made its debut in 1993, it was back in 1954
that the inaugural Men's event took place.
David, who 10 days ago
celebrated her 99th successive month at the top of the WSA World
Rankings, makes her return to the WSA World Tour this week after
winning a remarkable fourth individual gold medal in the quadrennial
Asian Games, before leading Malaysia to gold in the women's team event.
"It feels great to
know that and I didn't realise it," said the 31-year-old from Penang
when hearing of her latest potential three-successive-title record. "My
main aim is to start strong here in the first round and to bring in my
top performance on the day.
"I've just arrived in
Philadelphia and the buzz is kicking in the moment I got here having to
play this US Open again. This tournament brings out a vital importance
of the women's squash game having equal prize money with the men for
the second year running and makes us women squash players kick into
another gear to present a top showcase this week.
"The US Open has the
same level of prestige like a Grand Slam in tennis being among the four
major titles in the squash tour that every player would like to get
their name on the challenge trophy," added the event favourite. "I
always enjoy coming back competing in this tournament and US Squash
with supportive sponsors continue to step it up every year for us to
compete in an extraordinary atmosphere each time.
"My goals for the rest
of the year are really on each tournament basis. I'll be concentrating
on the US Open now then straight after is the Macau Open, in December
the World Teams and World Championships to finish off the year.
Exciting tournaments still to come that keeps the excitement for me to
work harder and stay on track with everything."
David will meet a
qualifier in the opening round and is expected to line up against her
Malaysian team-mate Low Wee Wern, the sixth seed now ranked a best-ever
five in the world, in the quarter-finals.
Egypt's third seed
Raneem El Welily, to whom she lost in the Malaysian Open semi-finals in
August, is David's predicted semi-final opponent - whilst the event is
due to climax in a repeat of the 2013 final between the Malaysian and
England's Laura Massaro.
Second seed Massaro is
the reigning world champion, ranked two in the world, who will also
begin her 2014 US Open campaign against a qualifier.
Hopes of a first ever
home winner of the women's title were dealt a blow today when US number
one Amanda Sobhy - a semi-finalist in the two previous WSA World Series
events - was forced to withdraw as the result of an injury. Guyana's
Nicolette Fernandes moves into Sobhy's seeded position in the draw,
while England's 20-year-old former European junior champion Emily
Whitlock is elevated from the qualifiers into the main draw.
1st round draw: [1] Nicol David (MAS) v Qualifier [12] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Qualifier [16] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) v Qualifier [6] Low Wee Wern (MAS) v Joey Chan (HKG) [3] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v Qualifier [10] Omneya Abdel Kawy (EGY) v Emily Whitlock (ENG) [9] Madeline Perry (IRL) v Nouran Gohar (EGY) [5] Alison Waters (ENG) v Qualifier [8] Annie Au (HKG) v Qualifier [14] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v Qualifier [13] Kasey Brown (AUS) v Tesni Evans (WAL) [4] Camille Serme (FRA) v [WC] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) [7] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) v Emma Beddoes (ENG) [11] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v Heba El Torky (EGY) [15] Sarah Kippax (ENG) v Line Hansen (DEN) [2] Laura Massaro (ENG) v Qualifier
