NICOL THE EARLY BIRD IN GOLD COAST
Nicol already Down Under as she eyes third straight gold
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian squash queen Nicol David is totally committed to winning her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal.
And the 34yearold, who knows she has a daunting challenge ahead, has taken the initiative by checking into Gold Coast, Australia, early.
The eighttime world champion, who is coached by Aussie Liz Irving, has been getting a feel of the court at Oxenford Studios for the past week.
The squash competition is from April 515.
“I have been here since last week. My coach Liz is from Brisbane, so I thought this is the best opportunity to come a little early to prepare for the Games,” said Nicol.
“I just want to get a good feel of the court so that I can get off to a good start.”
The world No. 8 – who has going through a rough patch of form, including a firstround defeat at the Windy City Open in Chicago earlier this month – certainly needs a head start over an improving field of rivals.
The Penangite, who is the third seed, has a firstround bye before meeting either Colette Sultana of Malta or Cayman Islands’ Samantha Hennings in the second round.
She should progress to the last 16 to set up a meeting with Canada’s Samantha Cornett while England’s fifth seed Alison Waters is a potential quarterfinal opponent.
If Nicol lives up to her seeding, she is then expected to meet the redhot Joelle King of New Zealand in last four.
Besides Nicol, the other Malaysian women competing in the singles are national No. 2 S. Sivasangari and junior Aifa Azman.
Sivasangari is drawn to meet Scotland’s Alison Thomson after a firstround bye while Aifa will also face a Scottish player – 14th seed Lisa Aitken after a firstround bye.
In the men’s competition, the trio of Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, Ng Eain Yow and Ivan Yuen will head Malaysia’s challenge in the singles.
The rest of the Commonwealth Games squad will only depart for Gold Coast on March 31.