A
masterful performance by Nicol David in the climax of the
Women's Macau Open saw the world number one from Malaysia win her
third WSA World Tour title in two months after crushing Egypt's
world No3 Raneem El Welily in straight games in today's final of
the WSA Gold 50 squash event at Complex Desportivo
International do Cotai in Taipa, Macau.
In her
14th straight match win in a row - during which she dropped only two
games as she picked up the Hong Kong Open trophy in August and
the US Open crown in Philadelphia last week - the 31-year-old
from Penang despatched El Welily 11-9, 11-2, 11-7.
El
Welily twice recovered from leads by the top seed in the first game to
draw level at six-all and eight-all, but David took the opener before
racing away with the second.
From
3-6 down in the third, the 25-year-old from Cairo battled back to
seven-all before David stemmed the advance to clinch the title.
"It's
great to win my first Macau squash open here in this amazing venue,"
David (pictured above in action with El Welily) told the crowd as
she received her latest trophy. "I felt I played well today and Raneem
hit more tins today than she has done before."
The
triumph marks the 77th Tour title of her illustrious career - and comes
only five weeks after winning a remarkable fourth Asian Games
gold medal.
"So
happy to win my first #MacauOpen title after beating Raneem 3-0," David
later told her FaceBook fans. "Thanks to Macau Squash and everyone
involved in making this tournament a successful major event for women's
squash."
David & El Welily To Meet In Macau Final
Malaysia's Nicol David and Egyptian Raneem El Welily, the
No1 and No3 players in the world, respectively, will meet in Sunday's
final of the Women's Macau Open after coming through today's
semi-finals of the WSA Gold 50 squash event at Complex
Desportivo International do Cotai in Taipa, Macau, in
straight games.
David
increased her number of WSA World Tour final appearances to 96 -
it will be her sixth this year - after despatching career-long rival
Jenny Duncalf, the former world No2 from England, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6.
The
31-year-old from Penang, who arrived in Taipa direct from Philadelphia
where she won an historic third successive US Open title, is
appearing in the Macau Open for the first time since November 2001 when
she reached the semi-finals as an 18-year-old having just broken into
the world top 20.
"I'm
very happy to win in three games," said the top seed (pictured above
in Macau Open action with Duncalf) after her Duncalf victory. "It's
nice to be back in Macau after 12 years to see how much it has changed."
Second
seed El Welily, who hails from Alexandria, denied Rachael Grinham
a second successive appearance in the final when she beat the
37-year-old sixth seed from Australia 11-3, 11-4, 11-3.
"I'm
happy to make the final and be here in Macau," said the Cairo-based
25-year-old (pictured above with Grinham). "I'm loving the venue
as well as the glass court."
It
will be the finalists' third Tour meeting this year - with the 2014
honours so far shared one-all.
Duncalf Wins Battle Of Brits In Macau
Jenny
Duncalf
extended her unbeaten record over England team-mate Emma Beddoes
by defeating her unseeded opponent in straight games in the Women's
Macau Open to claim a place in the semi-finals of the WSA Gold 50
squash event at Complex Desportivo International do Cotai in
Taipa, Macau.
Beddoes (pictured above, foreground, with Duncalf) secured her
surprise place in the last eight after ousting Egypt's No3 seed Nour
El Sherbini in the first round.
But
seventh seed Duncalf, the former world No2 from Harrogate, was too
strong for the 29-year-old from Leeds, winning 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 to set
up a semi-final clash with favourite Nicol David.
The
world number one from Malaysia beat compatriot Delia Arnold - but
the qualifier took the top seed to a tie-break in the third game before
David prevailed 11-4, 11-9, 12-10.
2013
runner-up Rachael Grinham took a mighty step towards a second
successive appearance in the final after upsetting Hong Kong's No4 seed
Annie Au.
The
sixth seed's 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 win takes the 37-year-old Australian
through to a semi-final against second seed Raneem El Welily.
The
world No3 from Egypt was taken to four games by Sarah-Jane Perry
before beating the No8 seed from England 12-10, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5.
Beddoes Betters Sherbini In Macau Shock
Just a week after losing to Nour El Sherbini in the first
round of the US Open, England's unseeded Emma Beddoes
gained her revenge in convincing style in today's opening round of the
Women's Macau Open when she despatched the third seed from Egypt
in straight games to claim an unexpected place in the quarter-finals of
the WSA Gold 50 squash event at Complex Desportivo
International do Cotai in Taipa, Macau.
"Pleased to beat Sherbini in 3 today and get revenge for last
week!" the delighted 29-year-old world No20 from Leeds told her Twitter
followers after her 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 upset. "Play England team mate
Jenny Duncalf tomorrow 5pm in quarters @MacauSquash"
Seventh seed Duncalf was taken the full distance in an
all-English first round battle with qualifier Victoria Lust.
Former world No2 Duncalf twice led her Canada-based compatriot, but
25-year-old Lust drew level both times.
The experienced 31-year-old from Harrogate gave a mighty last
push to close out the match 11-4, 9-11, 11-2, 4-11, 11-6.
At the top of the draw, Malaysian favourite Nicol David
took on Asian rival Joshana Chinappa, the world No21 from India.
It was the world No1 from Penang's first appearance in Macau since
reaching the event's semi-finals in November 2001 as an 18-year-old.
Furthermore, David arrived in Taipa fresh from grabbing an historic
third successive US Open title last week in Philadelphia.
Chinappa made fellow Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medallist
David (pictured above in Macau action with Chinappa) work hard
for the victory which she eventually clinched in three close games 11-8,
12-10, 12-10.
David's reward is a surprise all-Malaysian quarter-final clash
with Delia Arnold after the Kuala Lumpur-born 28-year-old and
lowest-ranked qualifier stunned Ireland's No5 seed Madeline Perry
7-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8.
China interest in the last eight will be led by Annie Au,
the fourth seed from Hong Kong who defeated local wildcard Liu Kwai
Chi 11-2, 11-5, 11-6.
Au, the 25-year-old world No10, will take on indefatigable
Rachael Grinham, the 37-year-old Australian who is enjoying her 21st
year on the WSA World Tour. Sixth seed Grinham beat Dane Line Hansen
11-9, 11-4, 11-8.
The quarter-final at the bottom of the draw will be the match
predicted by the draw, between Egypt's No2 seed Raneem El Welily
and England's Sarah-Jane Perry, the eighth seed.
Perry eased past Hong Kong's Joey Chan 11-9, 11-3, 12-10,
but world No3 El Welily had to recover from a game down to get the
better of 20-year-old English qualifier Emily Whitlock 4-11,
11-3, 11-4, 11-7.
