David in Fast Lane As She Prepares to Defend Her World Title, Nicol David Talks to Rod Gilmour About Her Happy Life Off Court in Amsterdam and How She Relaxes
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David P14-15_3 Column Left 09/11/2012 09:48 Page 1 FEATURE David in Fast Lane As she prepares to defend her world title, Nicol David talks to Rod Gilmour about her happy life off court in Amsterdam and how she relaxes icol David will celebrate 10 years sketches drawn from black and white different by including what they have to residing in Amsterdam next March. images. On her recent summer trip to offer, to be motivated and to push on,” NHalf of those have been spent as Africa promoting squash, she found some she says. world no.1 and as she orders her mint tea photos of animals and ‘doodled’ away. “For a long time Michael at Squash City, the bustling club down by David says they are “nothing too complex, Schumacher’s consistency blew people the Dutch city’s waterfront, it is obvious I’m just getting the hang of it.” away and took F1 to a whole new level. where she is happiest. Over the last five years David has Every time a driver gets on the podium, it Squash Player has been granted a made walking off last on court a habit, is interesting to note how they do it, as rare insight into her life outside the with a win ratio of around 80 per cent. In what they do is so intense. It is such an gruelling demands of top-level squash, 2008 she cleaned up on tour, winning all interesting sport.” one that takes in cafes, street-dancing, 10 tournaments. As David prepares for that seventh sketching and concerts, not to mention a As one of a small band of global sports title in eight years, it is hard to imagine love for Formula One motor racing. stars who have enjoyed long unbeaten that there are those who doubt her You almost sense David’s life taking runs during their careers, the Malaysian is eligibility at the top of the game. “David the path of an actress, with her vested a fervent onlooker as to how others suffers NY blowout” and “David crashes interest in fast cars. “Yes, I just do squash maintain their position at the top, with again” are two recent headlines, no doubt as a part-time job sometimes,” laughs rivals consistently knocking at her door. instigated by her failure to win the David as she prepares for the defence of She takes the best points of each Malaysian Open in September. her world crown in the Cayman Islands. athlete, anyone from Olympic sports to But the truth is that her rivals have Squash City is only five minutes by F1, how they keep in the zone, how their edged closer and the Malaysian is bicycle from her flat – if she has to bike body reacts and how drivers keep their enthused by the challenge posed by the any longer than 20 minutes, then it’s the minds clear. current generation. “They have no fear,” bus – and under the stewardship of coach Former squash players are key too. she says. “Since last year in Rotterdam, Liz Irving, her life since 2003 has She has swept up all the good points everyone has a target to go for.” flourished. from Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Vicki Cardwell David notes 17-year-old Nour El “It is a great city and now I have a over the years, and made them her own. Sherbini as an example. “Others are going physio and a psychologist. The It is a frightening thought, taking ‘if they can do it, then I can do the same’. environment is brilliant, we all live quite attributes from the world’s best to make a Everyone is stepping up their games this close by and the club is always looking Malaysian squash machine. year. The Hong Kong, India and Malaysian after us. It is a nice flow,” she says. “You always hope to try and be players are changing the game and A day off will see David recovering in pushing other players. I certainly don’t front of the TV. Honestly? It’s hard to know what to expect,” she says. visualise Malaysia’s six-time world Rather than add more shots to her champion lounging around her apartment armoury, David has been focusing on for too long. consistency this year, explaining: “I’ve had In the last few years street-dance a lot of close matches, a lot of five- classes – a form of breakdance which setters, and come back from near defeat originated in New York – have taken quite a few times. Those matches always precedence thanks to “an enthusiastic seem to come in the first round, but I am instructor with bundles of energy”, which working on this.” David says helps with her movement and David finishes by saying that “on their flow on court. day anyone from the top 10 can win With a squash player’s life consisting now.” But the fact of the matter is that of plenty of airport lounges, David has David’s brilliance means that she has also started drawing – or “doodling” as been playing the game as if she has been she calls it. Nicol David’s sketch of a lion drawn on a promotional ‘doodling’ and, aged 29, there’s no David has collated a book full of trip to Africa for the World Squash Federation reason why she can’t carry on. 14 THE SQUASH PLAYER.