David stamps authority on Australian Open

Friday, 12 August 2011

CANBERRA: Malaysian squash queen Nicol David wasted little time in stamping her authority on the Australian Open in Canberra when she blitzed Australia's Samantha Davies in straight games on Tuesday.

David raced to an easy 11-3, 11-6, 11-2 first round win over her unheralded opponent to set up a clash with 17-year-old Emily Whitlock of England, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-3 winner over 15th seeded New Zealander Kylie Lindsay.

World number one David has never played in an Australian Open before but she is the overwhelming favourite to claim the title this year.

David had a rare loss at last week's Singapore Open to England's Laura Massaro but said she had already put that out of her mind.

Massaro is not playing in Canberra, but her countrywoman Jenny Duncalf was just as impressive as David as she cruised to an 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 win over Australian qualifier Vanessa Pickerd.

The remainder of the top women's seeds all progressed with dominant displays.

Third seed Rachael Grinham beat Lucie Fialova of the Czech Republic 11-6, 11-5, 11-2, Ireland's Madeline Perry (4) downed Malaysia's Siti Munirah Jusoh 11-5, 11-2, 11-3 and Kasey Brown (5) was too good for New Zealand's Amanda Cranston 11-2, 11-7, 11-3.

Ashour downed Malaysian qualifier Ivan Yuen 11-3, 11-7, 11-3, and Gaultier and Barker both overcame Australian challengers.

Barker was too steady for Aaron Frankcomb, winning 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 while Gaultier was in blistering form as he downed world number 14 Cameron Pilley 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.

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Aamir Atlas loses Malaysian Open final

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakistani Aamir Atlas Khan was defeated by top seeded Gregory Gaultier of France in the final of the Malaysian Open squash championship.

Aamir performed well in the tournament and beat the third ranked player on his way to the final.

The score for the final was 11-8, 11-3, 11-3 and it lasted 43 minutes.

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Jahangir Khan backs squash for Olympics

KARACHI: Pakistani squash legend Jahangir Khan on Thursday hailed the International Olympic Committee's decision to consider the sport he once dominated for inclusion in the 2020 Games.

The IOC recently put squash on a shortlist of eight sports which could be added to the Olympics in 2020.

"Squash needs that fillip and we have been trying for this for the last several years. Now the time has come when squash be included in the Olympics on merit," Khan, a former World Champion, told AFP.

The 48-year-old Khan led the campaign to add the sport to the Olympic programme during his three-year tenure as World Squash Federation (WSF) president which ended in 2008.

"We lost to golf and rugby in 2016, but now I am sure of its inclusion in 2020," said Khan, who is now the honorary life president of the WSF.

Khan ruled the squash courts between 1981-92, winning a world record ten British open titles. He also won six world titles and remained unbeaten for five years and eight months between 1981-1986.

Squash will vie with baseball, karate, roller sports, softball, sports climbing, wakeboarding and wushu for inclusion in the 2020.

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