Nicol waltzes past Davies
Published on: Wednesday, August 10, 2011
CANBERRA: Malaysia's world number one Datuk Nicol David stamped her class on the Australian Open squash tournament in Canberra when she raced to an emphatic 11-3, 11-6, 11-2 first round win over Brisbane's Samantha Davies on Tuesday.But two other Malaysians - Siti Munirah Jusoh and Asyraf Azan - bowed out.Siti Munirah went down to Ireland's Madeline Perry 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 and Asyraf was beaten 11-5, 11-9, 11-4 by Scottish qualifier Alan Clyne.
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Nicol, playing her first ever Australian Open, was untroubled by Davies, who tried hard but was outclassed by the Malaysian superstar. Not to be outdone, world number two Jenny Duncalf of England followed Nicol on court and was equally impressive in her 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 win over Melbourne qualifier Vanessa Pickerd.Nicol won the Australian Junior Open in 1999 in her only previous visit to Canberra and showed why she is the favourite to claim the senior title in 2011."I had never played Samantha before so I didn't know what to expect," Nicole said.
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"I knew she was a big shot player and she made some shots but I just stuck in there and played solid."Nicol had a rare loss at last week's Singapore Open but said she had already put that out of her mind.
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"Those days happen and I'm just moving forward," she said. "It's good to get fresh and ready for the Australian Open and I'm excited to be here."Nicol next plays 17-year-old Englishwoman Emily Whitlock, who upset 15th seeded New Zealander Kylie Lindsay 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-3.Duncalf lost in the semi-finals in 2010 as top seed, and looked determined to make amends for that disappointment as she crushed Pickerd, who was playing her first match on the glass court.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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