NICOL David avoided the carnage which befell several seeds at the CIMB Malaysian Open in Bukit Jalil yesterday to serenely progress to the quarter-finals.
Women’s world champion Laura Massaro was the biggest casualty as she joined national No 2 Low Wee Wern and England’s Jenny Duncalf on the scrapheap.
It was hardly a great day for Malaysia’s players at the National Squash Centre as Delia Arnold, three-time Malaysian Open champion Azlan Iskandar, two-time winner Ong Beng Hee and Ivan Yuen are also out.
The semi-retired Azlan called it quits after three games against Nafiizwan Adnan, who with Nicol, are the only Malaysians remaining in the the tournament.
Beng Hee saved one match point but could not prevent Indian qualifier Mahesh Mangaonkar from prevailing 11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10 in a marathon encounter.
In a match between two Commonwealth Games gold medallists, singles champion Nicol downed India’s doubles winner Joshna Chinappa 11-4, 11-3, 11-8 in 32 minutes to book a date with Hong Kong’s Annie Au at the Nu Sentral Mall today.
“The depth in the sport is really strong and you just have to be ready for tough matches,” said World No 1 Nicol, referring to the upsets.
“You’ve got to be alert from the beginning and be ready for what is coming.”
Nicol, bidding to win a ninth Malaysian Open title. was little troubled by Joshna, who has now lost all nine of her meetings with the seven-time world champion without winning a game.
Annie defeated Egypt’s Omneya Abdel Kawy 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 but has lost all 16 of her meetings with Nicol, most recently in the Cleveland Classic final in February.
It was an unhappy return to Malaysia for England’s World No 2 Laura, who won her maiden world title in Penang in March.
Egyptian upstart Nour El Tayeb shocked the second seed 11-7, 11-4, 6-11, 11-4 and was followed by newly-crowned world junior champion Habiba Mohamed Ahmed’s 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 upset of 11th seed Jenny Duncalf of England.
Strapping six-footer Sarah-Jane Perry was the lone English survivor as the 13th seed knocked out sixth seed Wee Wern 11-3, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9.
Wee Wern said she is still trying to recover her fitness after being laid low by dengue before the Commonwealth Games.
“It was a very physical match and I was struggling for fitness,” said Wee Wern, who dropped to 1-2 on the WSA Tour against Sarah-Jane. “She played well and I tried to hang in there as long as I could. I’ve got to back and work on my fitness.”
Delia was unable to build on her win over England’s World No 6 Alison Waters in the first round when she lost 14-12, 11-9, 11-5 to American former world junior champion Amanda Sobhy.
“If I had won the first game, it might have been a different story,” said World No 39 Delia. “I tried hard in the second but she was quite sharp with her shot. The third went so quickly and by the time I realised I was down 8-0 in the third, it was too late.”
Eighth seed Nafiizwan advanced to a quarter-final meeting with Egyptian top seed Mohamed El Shorbagy when Azlan succumbed to fatigue while trailing 8-11, 12-10, 11-5.
A cramping Ivan was a spent force in a 11-7, 11-13, 12-10, 9-11, 11-3 loss to Finnish seventh seed Olli Tuominen.