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Nicol, Beng Hee ke suku akhir


NICOL David mudah menewaskan lawannya dari Belanda, Vanessa Atkinson 11-4,11-5,11-8 pada Kejohanan Terbuka Malaysia CIMB di Pusat Skuasy Nasional, Bukit Jalil, semalam. - UTUSAN/RASHID MAHFOF
KUALA LUMPUR - Pemain No. 1 dunia, Datuk Nicol David dan Ong Beng Hee mara ke suku akhir skuasy Terbuka Malaysia CIMB ketika Mohd. Azlan Iskandar tewas kepada lawan dari Mesir, Omar Mosaad dalam saingan awal, semalam.

Nicol, pilihan pertama kejohanan mudah melepasi tentangan Vanessa Atkinson dari Belanda 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 untuk menentang pemain bukan pilihan, Kasey Brown dari Australia hari ini.

Beng Hee juga menang mudah ke atas pemain senegara, Muhd. Asyraf Azan 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 dan akan berdepan pilihan ketiga, Awel El Hindi dari Mesir.

Malang buat pilihan kelima, Mohd. Azlan yang kalah kepada pemain bukan pilihan Omar Mosaad 12-10, 5-11, 1-11, 9-11 dalam masa 56 minit.

Nicol yang ditemui berkata, dia dan Vanessa mengetahui corak permainan masing-masing mendorong pemain dari Belanda itu memberikan aksi terbaiknya.

''Dia beraksi baik hari ini memaksa saya meningkatkan permainan. Sepanjang perlawanan, saya berjaya menyekatnya dari terus menambah mata.

''Mengenai aksi suku akhir esok, saya menjangkakan tentangan sengit dari Kasey kerana dia beraksi baik pada kejohanan dunia,'' kata Nicol.

Perlawanan peringkat berikutnya akan berlangsung di The Curve, Mutiara Damansara.

Sementara itu, Menteri Belia dan Sukan Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek yang menyaksikan perlawanan, semalam berkata, beliau telah mencadangkan kepada Kabinet supaya Center Court iaitu gelanggang utama di Pusat Skuasy Nasional di sini dinama sempena nama Nicol.

Jelasnya, ini bagi mengiktiraf kecemerlangan pemain kelahiran Pulau Pinang itu, juga sebagai satu penghormatan kepada Nicol.

''Saya sudah memaklumkan kepada rakan-rakan di Kabinet mengenai perkara ini. Memang ada peraturan yang tidak membenarkan sesebuah bangunan dinama sempena nama tokoh yang masih hidup.

''Namun dalam hal ini, saya berharap ia dikecualikan kerana kita mahu menjadikan kejayaan Nicol sebagai contoh kepada kelahiran lebih ramai pemain sepertinya.

''Perkara ini telah dimaklumkan kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan beliau memberikan reaksi positif,'' katanya.

UTUSAN

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