RESULTS: CIMB Malaysian Open Squash Championships, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Men’s final:
[4] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [7] Tarek Momen (EGY) 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (37m)
Women’s final:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5 (72m)
Nicol David and Mohd Azlan Iskandar celebrated a popular home double in the CIMB Malaysian Open Squash Championships today (Saturday) after surviving contrasting finals at The Curve Shopping Mall in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
First up was Mohd Azlan Iskandar, fourth seed in the men's $52,500 5-star PSA World Tour event. Celebrating his fourth appearance in the climax of his country's biggest international squash championship, the 28-year-old from KL faced giant-killer Tarek Momen, the seventh-seeded Egyptian who shocked compatriot Mohamed El Shorbagy, the top seed, in the previous round.
Iskandar's experience shone through, however, as the world No18 he stormed to an 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 victory over the 22-year-old world No23 from Cairo in 37 minutes.
"He was just too quick and his shots too precise," Momen told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "I knew I would be tired, and when I stepped on court, my legs were heavy. But I didn't play badly - just not as quickly as Azlan today!"
The win marks Iskandar's 12th PSA Tour title and his third Malaysian Open triumph since 2004. It also rounds off a series of title successes in his region after winning the Asian Championship gold medal in May and the Malaysian national crown last week.
After reaching her eighth Malaysian Open final in a row, Nicol David was after her sixth successive success in the climax of the women's $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold event.
But the world number one from Penang's opponent Jenny Duncalf, the world number two from England, did not make it easy for her in their third Tour final clash this year.
Twice David led, but on both occasions Harrogate-based Duncalf battled back to draw level.
It took 72 minutes for Datuk David to clinch the title – and she did so after winning 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5.
It was Nicol David's 60th appearance in a WISPA Tour final – and the success brought up her fourth Tour title of the year and the 45th of her career.