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MAYBE THIS TIME … Nicol (right) is eager to wrest the Kuala Lumpur Open title which she lost to Natalie Grainger in last year’s final.
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17th March, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: Reigning world Number One Datuk Nicol David is all set to wrest the Kuala Lumpur Open Squash Championship which begins today.
After a brilliant start to the new season at the Chennai Open in India earlier this month, Nicol is eager to wrest the Kuala Lumpur Open title, which she lost to Natalie Grainger of United States in the final last year.
“This year I’ve been training well and I had a good run in Chennai and I just want to maintain that momentum into the KL Open and start strong.
“Last year was another year and this year is a whole different ball game. I learnt from that and I have done a lot of things throughout the year until now,” said Nicol when met at the sponsorship cheque presentation here yesterday.
Nicol said she had added more strength to her game, by working out with Sarah Fitzgerald in Australia and Liz Irving, in Amsterdam.
CIMB Group also announced an extension of its sponsorship pledge to Nicol for another two years (until 2012), since first starting to sponsor her since 2006.
The announcement was made in conjunction with CIMB Group’s fifth consecutive year sponsorship of the Kuala Lumpur Open.
“It is always getting harder each year but it will always be a challenge that is why I like the game. I like the challenge and I like the idea of knowing that you can still find new things to learn from other players and also about yourself,” said Nicol of her continuous run as world Number One.
“This year I really picked up on new areas and understanding myself a little bit more in the game. Now I want to work on the competitiveness while playing and try to bring in what I learnt for the last two months,” she added.
Nicol will be facing unseeded New Zealander Jaclyn Hawkes in her opening match today.
Besides Nicol, this year’s competition promises even more world class action as Ramy Ashour of Egypt, the current men’s world Number One, will be joining the fray.
As in previous years, the preliminary rounds and the first round will be held at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil while the quarter-finals onwards will be staged in a glass court at the concourse area of Berjaya Times Square shopping mall here.
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