Nicol David First Player in 60-Year History of Open to Win Three Straight Titles by Howard Harding October 19, 2014
- Malaysian superstar Nicol David claimed the latest historic
achievement in her illustrious squash career when she beat Egypt's Nour
El Sherbini in the final of the Women's Delaware Investments US Open in
Philadelphia to become the first player in the 60-year history of the
championship to win the title three times in a row.
The top seed and the
world number one for 99 successive months since August 2006, David was
expected to make the final of the WSA World Series Platinum event at
Drexel University - the 95th of her career.
But El Sherbini was
the event's No7 seed - and scored mighty upsets over both second seed
Laura Massaro, the world champion from England, and France's fourth
seed Camille Serme to claim her unexpected place in the climax.
With heavy strapping
on her right thigh, the Egyptian teenager looked to be struggling with
her movement in the first game as David (pictured above in action with
El Sherbini) pushed her to all corners of the court.
El Sherbini was
getting to most of the shots, but it looked to be a bit of a struggle
as David forged leads of 4-2, 7-2 and 10-4 before taking the game 11-5.
"For the next two
games, however, the 18-year-old from Alexandria matched David all the
way," said a spokesman for the event. "Looking calmer and more
controlled, El Sherbini was moving better, hitting better, and we had a
real contest on our hands."
El Sherbini was a
point or two ahead for most of the second, but it was David who reached
game ball first at 10-9, doubling her lead at the second attempt,
12-10, as the Egyptian's dropshot clipped the tin.
From seven-all in the
third, El Sherbini moved ahead to earn three game balls at 10-7. But
David is renowned for comebacks, and forced into three errors from the
Egyptian before reaching match-ball.
But as the 31-year-old
world number one from Penang served for the match, the ball burst -
delaying the final point as the new one was warmed up.
Minutes later, however, David blasted a shot out of El Sherbini's reach to claim her third US Open title.
"I don't believe it,"
said David after her 11-5, 12-10, 12-10 victory. "I was really just in
the game, I'm still thinking that I need to keep warming up that ball!
"Sherbini played such
a good game of squash, and I really had to play even better because it
was so difficult out there to win that title.
"I think with Sherbini
it's more of just getting in the groove. I think in the second game she
just found the rhythm and flow, and also just good shots and she was
really putting on the pressure. So I had to keep up with that pace and,
at the same time, bring my game forward so I'm really pleased with that.
"I'm so pleased - really happy to win another US Open."
The 41-minute triumph marks the 76th WSA World Tour title of David's career.
RESULTS: Women's Delaware Investments US Open, Philadelphia, USA
Final: [1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [7] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 11-5, 12-10, 12-10 (41m)
