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Nicol mahu tunjuk kuasa di Cayman

Oleh Harris Rajahdin

harajah@bharian.com.my


Nicol

Pentas ujian selepas berehat hampir dua bulan

IA bukan percutian semata-mata buat Nicol David yang akan berkunjung ke destinasi pelancongan, kepulauan Cayman minggu depan dalam misinya menegakkan kembali penguasaannya dalam pentas skuasy wanita dunia.

Di sana, dia akan menjadikan negara kecil di Caribbean itu sebagai pentas aksi kompetitif selepas berehat hampir dua bulan.

Sambil mengakui dirinya teruja memikirkan mengenai kunjungan pertamanya ke kepulauan yang terletak di Lautan Atlantik itu, pemain nombor satu dunia itu menyedari terdapat misi lebih penting yang perlu dilangsaikan di sana pada Terbuka Cayman pada 5-10 Mei ini.

"Saya belum pernah ke sana dan tidak sabar menimba pengalaman pertama di sana. Saya mengetahui Cayman dikenali dengan pantainya dan resort percutian indah.

"Tetapi saya tidak akan ke sana untuk bercuti semata-mata kerana terdapat sesuatu yang lebih penting iaitu untuk kembali ke rentak kemenangan pada Terbuka Cayman nanti," katanya.

Juara dunia itu yang memburu gelaran pertamanya tahun ini selepas tewas kepada Natalie Grainger pada final Terbuka Kuala Lumpur, Mac lalu berpeluang untuk membalas dendam kepada pemain Amerika Syarikat yang besar kemungkinan menjadi lawannya pada pentas akhir nanti.

Pilihan pertama Nicol, diundi bertemu pemain kelayakan pada pusingan pertama dengan pilihan keenam, Omneya Abdel Kawy menunggunya di suku akhir.

Separuh akhir bakal menyaksikannya kembali beradu dengan pilihan ketiga, Rachael Grinham yang kali terakhir menewaskannya dua tahun lalu di Manchester pada Terbuka British.

Natalie yang menghentikan rentetan tanpa kalah Nicol pada takat 53 perlawanan, diletakkan sebagai pilihan kedua dijangka berdepan pemain yang digantikannya di ranking kedua dunia, Natalie Grinham dari Australia yang jatuh satu anak tangga ke tempat ketiga, pada pusingan empat terakhir nanti.

Dua hari selepas itu, Nicol akan mengalihkan perhatiannya kepada Terbuka Texas di Plano, Dallas yang menandakan kepulangan Nicol ke Texas buat pertama kali dalam lima tahun, dengan penampilan terakhirnya pada 2005 menyaksikan pencapaian terbaiknya mara ke suku akhir.-BERITA HARIAN

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