Pressure keeps Nicol in winning mode

NICOL David has a clear run at closing out her season on a high at her final two tournaments of the year next month as she described how she handles the pressure to keep her winning momentum going.

As the accolades keep pouring in for the four-time world champion, Nicol said the ceaseless pressure to keep winning will not detract her from going for her eighth and ninth Wispa Tour titles in November.

The latest honour bestowed on Nicol was the naming of the National Squash Centre main court in Bukit Jalil after her in acknowledgement of her stunning achievements over the last five years which put Malaysia firmly on the sporting map.

"There is always pressure (to win) whether you like it or not. You've got to work hard and if you put the effort in on the court, it will work out. If not, you learn from it and step up a notch the next time but I've got to believe in what I can do," said Nicol after the unveiling of the Nicol David Arena at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.


Fresh from winning a fourth consecutive Hong Kong Open title on Sunday, Nicol will be in action at the Carol Weymuller Open in New York on Nov 3-8, a tournament she has not played since 2005.

The top seed can expect former world champion Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands and England's Jenny Duncalf to be her main threat to an expected final meeting with British Open winner Rachael Grinham of Australia.

But the Qatar Classic in Doha on Nov 19-23 will be a tougher proposition for Nicol where she could meet Rachael or Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy in the semi-finals and Dutch World No 2 Natalie Grinham in the final.

Before that there is the danger posed by England's Laura Massaro, who ran the world champion close in their last two meetings, in the quarter-finals.

The country's top men's duo of Azlan Iskandar and Ong Beng Hee too have a loaded November to deal with which begins with the World Open in Kuwait.

After his impressive run to the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open, Azlan is set to carry his form over to Kuwait on Nov 1-7 where he is slated to meet Egypt's Amr Shabana in the third round.

Shabana toppled compatriot and World No 1 Karim Darwish en route to the Hong Kong title last week and will present 12th seed Azlan a stiff test of his credentials.

Beng Hee, seeded 13th, was unfortunate to be drawn to face second seed Gregory Gaultier in the third round although the Frenchman's fitness remains suspect after being forced to withdraw from the Hong Kong Open final due to a knee injury.

Azlan and Beng Hee should come through the first two rounds while national No 3 Nafiizwan Adnan could spring a surprise when he comes up against world junior champion Mohamed El Shorbagy of Egypt in the first round.



Beng Hee will also be in action in Doha where he meets ninth seed Peter Barker of England in the first round while Azlan is entered in the Dutch Open in Rotterdam the following week