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BO Preview p16 WOMEN_3 Column Left 09/11/2012 09:56 Page 1 WOMEN’S WORLD OPEN Heat is on David Richard Eaton previews the women’s World Open in the Cayman Islands from December 13 to 21 THE LOWDOWN and then telecast a two-hour highlights THE CHALLENGERS The Cayman Islands Squash Association package. Coverage will also appear live on- Raneem El Weleily has been preparing to host the World Open line at SquashTV.com and ESPN3.com. Returned to world ever since its inaugural open tournament no.2 after beating in 2009 was described as "the best debut WHAT WE WILL/WON'T SEE David in the Malaysian tournament ever" by Andrew Shelley, then Won’t see: Rain stops play. Open final and is the the WSA's tournament director. It's Will see: Friendly stingrays. nearest to being a estimated the event, which is offering a genuine threat. Aged record $165,000 prize fund, will attract THE CHAMPION 23, her self-belief is 600 sports tourism visitors and bring in Nicol David's growing. tens of millions of dollars. unique status meant that two Laura Massaro COURT WATCH recent defeats Won the Carol The McWil glass court, which featured in caused a Weymuller Open, Grand Central terminal for the Tournament disproportionate briefly reached a of Champions in New York in January, will reaction, her loss career-high world no.2 now stand alongside the palm trees at in the Malaysian and beat David twice Camana Bay on Grand Cayman, which has Open final to last year. She might been ranked in the world's 10 most Raneem El Weleily manage an ambush. beautiful beaches. Evening temperatures leading to one of the all-time daftest headlines. should be in the high 70s, so conditions Alison Waters "Show us you can," one KL publication may be humid and tough. Protected by a Has made a wonderful blathered. Requesting that of a player who wide roof, the court should not be recovery after a year- has dominated women’s squash like no vulnerable to the elements, though. long injury, beating other during the professional era is like David at the Carol asking Usain Bolt to show us he can run. OPEN IN NUMBERS Weymuller Open and Later the same organ spouted that 4 – different nations who have had a rising from 40 to four David "simply cannot get it right in the women's world champion this year. 7 – matchpoints Sarah Fitz-Gerald United States", after she lost to Alison saved against Michelle Martin in Waters at the Carol Weymuller Open. It the greatest final, at Stuttgart in confirmed that David must always win to Joelle King 1998 avoid criticism. Rose to a career-high 78 – points played in that final, which is This is a relentless, destructive five after winning the also the longest to date pressure. Add the fact that the competition Macau Open. With 38 – Heather McKay's age when winning is improving and more diffuse, and glitches recent successes over the second of her two titles, are inevitable. Waters and Duncalf, making her the oldest champion David acknowledges she has to work and a five-game 21 – Susan Devoy's age when winning harder mentally and physically to stay on tussle with David at the first of her four titles, making top. This makes peaking more important. If the U.S. Open, she her the youngest champion she works to full capacity and tries her could climb further. 12 – times Australians have won the utmost always, she will fail. World Open, in 28 attempts In sports where the strength in depth is Jenny Duncalf greater, the best players focus on major Has had a STAT ATTACK events. At other tournaments they may disappointing year Since Nicol David surprisingly became have mixed motives. In her 30th year since reaching the world champion in 2005, the light-footed David increasingly has to do likewise. Sure 2011 final. But two Malaysian has scampered to a record six enough, she won the U.S. Open, the years ago she beat World Open titles, four of them in a row biggest title to have eluded her, David twice and her (also a record), to a record eight Asian overcoming both Waters and El Weleily. experience may help titles, to a record 63 WSA Tour titles, and Reportedly, David remains uninjured, her do well again. held the world no.1 ranking for six years and as fit and motivated as ever. Her losses and seven months. were caused by other factors, an important Nour El Sherbini one of which was stress. The presence of Touted as David's HOW TO WATCH psychologist Frank Cabooter and coach Liz successor after The semi-finals and final are to be Irving in Cayman will be important. reaching the British televised, while the quarters onwards will Despite this, David's last two World Open final. She has be streamed. SquashTV, the UK-based Open final performances have been the not repeated that television crew, will provide coverage live to best of her career. She may well continue form. Though a long- "numerous international markets," in that vein, even if the list of challengers term threat, she is not according to a tournament spokesperson, is lengthening. an in-form challenger. 16 THE SQUASH PLAYER.

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