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Nicol Buka Langkah Kanan Untuk Kejuaraan Kelapan Dunia

GEORGE TOWN, 18 Mac (Bernama) -- Ratu skuasy negara Datuk Nicol Ann David memulakan misi memburu kejuaraaan kelapan Kejohanan Wanita Dunia CIMB ke-29 apabila melangkah ke pusingan kedua di sini malam ini.

Pemain nombor satu dunia itu menepati ramalan apabila hanya memerlukan masa 36 minit untuk menyingkirkan pemain bukan pilihan dari England, Emma Beddoes 11-9, 11-5 dan 11-8.

"Penonton memang hebat...terima kasih atas sokongan anda," kata Nicol, 30, yang teruja untuk menghadiahkan kejuaraan dunia untuk peminat di tempat kelahirannya di sini.

Nicol merupakan juara dunia sebanyak tujuh kali iaitu pada 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 dan 2012.

Pada pusingan kedua, Nicol akan berdepan dengan pemain berusia 23 tahun, Heba El Torky, Khamis ini selepas pemain Mesir bukan pilihan itu mengejutkan pemain pilihan ke-11 Annie Au.

Heba mengalahkan pemain veteran Hong Kong itu dengan keputusan 13-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8.

Dalam satu lagi saingan pusingan pertama, pemain nombor 19 dunia, Nicolette Fernandes dari Guyana bangkit daripada ketinggalan dua set untuk menyingkirkan pemain nombor 15 dunia Rachael Grinham dari Australia.

Ketinggalan 4-11 dan 6-11 tidak mematahkan semangat Nicolette, 30, untuk bangkit semula sebelum mengatasi Rachael dengan 12-10, 11-8 dan 11-7 dalam pertarungan selama 63 minit.

Dalam pada itu, pemain nombor dua negara Low Wee Wern, yang juga pemain nombor enam dunia, dan pemain amatur negara Vanessa Raj, yang layak ke undian utama atas tiket 'wildcard' akan memulakan cabaran esok.

Wee Wern, anak kelahiran Pulau Pinang, akan berdepan dengan pemain Australia, Donna Urquhart manakala Vanessa bertemu pemain nombor dua dunia, Laura Massaro dari England.

-- BERNAMA

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