Nicol moving in the right direction with new scoring system
Wednesday July 30, 2008
Nicol moving in the right direction with new scoring system
By AFTAR SINGH
KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Nicol David is slowly, but surely, finding her feet under the new 11-point scoring system.
The new scoring system was introduced in last week’s Malaysian Open, which Nicol won for the fourth straight time.
Nicol struggled in the early rounds of the tournament before finally finding her rhythm to eliminate world No. 2 Natalie Grinham of Holland in the final.
“With the new system you need to stay focused throughout the matches. I struggled in the early rounds of the Malaysian Open because I was not to used to it,” said Nicol.
Nicol, while admitting that the new scoring is quite taxing, hopes to put up a better performance in the Singapore Masters, which begins at the Kallang Squash Centre today.
“Besides defending the Singapore Masters and the Dutch Open (September) crowns, I will also be competing in the World Open in Manchester in October. The world meet is the most important tournament for me this year,” said Nicol, who lost in the second round of the World Open in Madrid last year.
Shelley Kitchen of New Zealand upset the top-seeded Nicol in last year’s World Open.
Nicol, the two-time World Open champion in 2005 and 2006, will meet Engy Kheirallah of Egypt in the first round of the Singapore Masters.
Also in Nicol’s half of the draw are two Englishwomen – fifth seed Jenny Duncalf and fourth seed Tania Bailey.
Natalie is seeded second while her elder sister, Rachael Grinham, is seeded third.
Nicol will be gunning for her sixth straight Women’s International Squash Players Association (Wispa) title this year, having bagged the Apawamis Open, the Kuala Lumpur Open, British Open, Seoul Open and Malaysian Open.
After the Singapore Masters, there will be “battle of the sexes” between Nicol and Singapore’s men’s No. 1 Udai Singh and Malaysia’s Low Wee Wern, the Asian junior woman champion, against Singapore’s Under-19 boys’ champion Samuel Kang.
These are not exhibition matches as prize money will be awarded to the winners.
“With the new system you need to stay focused throughout the matches. I struggled in the early rounds of the Malaysian Open because I was not to used to it,” said Nicol.
Nicol, while admitting that the new scoring is quite taxing, hopes to put up a better performance in the Singapore Masters, which begins at the Kallang Squash Centre today.
“Besides defending the Singapore Masters and the Dutch Open (September) crowns, I will also be competing in the World Open in Manchester in October. The world meet is the most important tournament for me this year,” said Nicol, who lost in the second round of the World Open in Madrid last year.
Shelley Kitchen of New Zealand upset the top-seeded Nicol in last year’s World Open.
Nicol, the two-time World Open champion in 2005 and 2006, will meet Engy Kheirallah of Egypt in the first round of the Singapore Masters.
Also in Nicol’s half of the draw are two Englishwomen – fifth seed Jenny Duncalf and fourth seed Tania Bailey.
Natalie is seeded second while her elder sister, Rachael Grinham, is seeded third.
Nicol will be gunning for her sixth straight Women’s International Squash Players Association (Wispa) title this year, having bagged the Apawamis Open, the Kuala Lumpur Open, British Open, Seoul Open and Malaysian Open.
After the Singapore Masters, there will be “battle of the sexes” between Nicol and Singapore’s men’s No. 1 Udai Singh and Malaysia’s Low Wee Wern, the Asian junior woman champion, against Singapore’s Under-19 boys’ champion Samuel Kang.
These are not exhibition matches as prize money will be awarded to the winners.