05-May, Finals:

[1] Nicol David (Mas) 3-0 [3] Annie Au (Hkg)
             12/10, 11/7, 11/8 (35m) 

[4] Leo Au (Hkg) 3-0 [3] Abdullah Al-Mezayen (Kuw)
             11/7, 11/9, 13/11 (47m)

Nine for David as she denies Au double

Malaysia's Nicol David claimed her ninth Asian Individual championship title as she beat Hong Kong's Annie Au, the defending champion (in David's 2013 absence) in straight games in the final.

There was gold for the Au family though, as Annie's younger brother Leo beat home favourite Abdullah Al Mezayen in the men's final.

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5/11, 11/9, 15/13, 18/16 (67)

 [4] Leo Au

11/7, 11/9, 13/11 (47m)

8/11, 11/9, 11/9, 5/11, 11/6 (67m)

[7] Nasir Iqbal

11/6, 11/9, 11/7 (34m)

[4] Joshana Chinappa

 12/10, 11/7, 11/8 (35m)

[3] Annie Au

7/11, 11/9, 9/11, 12/10, 11/4 (75m)

[6] Delia Arnold 

04-May, Semis:
David to face Au in women's final,
Amazing Abdullah keeps home hopes alive

Maj S Maniam reports

DAVID v CHINAPPA

Joshana played really well today but Nicol was clinical in her victory. Although Joshna stepped the pace up , Nicol was unperturbed and kept Joshna at bay to win 3-0 in 34 minutes

AU v ARNOLD

A true thriller of a match. Both players played outstanding squash. Delia did not make too many errors and used the front well and was strong in taking the first.

The second went Au’s way as she steadied her game and forced some errors out of Delia. Delia came back well to take the third and had match ball in the fourth.

The dour fighter she is, Au hung in to scrape through 12/10. As though ruing hermissed opportunity Delia appeared to let her guard down. Sensing victory Au pushed up the pace and took the 5th for a loss of 4 points. Credit to Annie for hanging in well and Delia for putting up a spirited display.

AU v ZAMAN

Fast and Furious Two. Not unlike yesterday Farhan started at a blistering pace. Leo really had no answer as Farhan romped home with the first 11/5. Leo slowed down the pace in the second and this seemed to rattle Zaman’s rhythm.

And soon Zaman was 2-1 down. The fourth was a splendid match of Zaman’s shot making and Leo’s retrieving.

Zaman saved four match balls and had two game balls himself, which he could not convert. Leo stayed strong to win 3-1.

AL-MEZAYEN v IQBAL

Unbelievable squash. Abdullah continues to mesmerize with his delightful touch, deception and delay. Despite this Nasir came on with guns blazing to take the first.

Abdullah settled down and took the second and third. But not without having to work really really hard for it. Nasir picked up everything that was thrown at him and he too played some delightful shots.

The last two games took their toll on Abdullah. He looked a spent force in the fourth and threw it away. There was concern and anxiety in the home crowd.

Mezayen amazingly charged back on to court in the fifth and surprising almost everyone and especially Nasir, swept through the game 11/6 and sprawled on the floor immediately after, out of complete exhaustion.

Kudos to both players, for the display of a most entertaining match.

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Amazing, Abdullah

Nicol into the final

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No upsets in the women's semis as hot favourite Nicol David ended Indian interest in the main draws with a straight-games win over Joshana Chinappa to reach the final for a ninth time,

Third seeded defending champion Annie Au ended the run of yesterday's giant-killer Delia Arnold, coming from 1-2 down to win in 75 minutes.

In the men's semis Leo Au put paid to Farhan Zaman's hopes of taking out both Hong Kong players, although only 18-16 in the fourth after 67 minutes.

Home star Abdullah Al-Mezayen also took 67 minutes to get past another young Pakistani, Nasir Iqbal.

03-May, Quarters
Seeds suffer on Day Three
Maj S Maniam reports on a day of carnage ...

Third seed Annie Au of Hong Kong was first on and cruised past young Rachael Arnold from Malaysia. "It was a great experience playing Annie," said Rachael.

Next on were Indian Joshana Chinappa and Joey Chan from Hong Kong. A thrilling five setter, which went, so much back and forth that one, was never sure who was going to win. In the end Joshana showed resilience to earn a play off with top seeded Malaysia Nicol David who had a fairly routine victory over Liu Tsz Ling of Hong Kong.

The fourth quarter-final was a battle between two very talented and aggressive players, Dipika Pallikal and Delia Arnold, a match that lasted an exciting 95 minutes.

A whole range of shot making and retrieving skills were on display. As both players gave it all they had, the match got physical on a number of occasions but the ref kept it all under control. Delia’s consistency and effective backhand drops and drives eventually paid off and she came through, for a match off with Au tomorrow.

Men's top seed Max Lee of Hong Kong was beaten 3-0 by Pakistani Farhan Zaman. “Fast and Furious” said Indian National Coach Cyru Poncha of the match.

And so it was. Both players were hitting the ball fairly hard and at the same time displayed tremendous retrieving abilities. The difference though was Zaman’s shot making skills. He was going for winners at his whims and fancies, and getting most of them in.

Max gave it his all but today Zaman was on song. Will he continue his giant killing spree when he takes on Max’s teammate Leo Au in the semis tomorrow, is the question on everyone’s lips?

Leo meanwhile overcame a gritty Yip in the second quarter. Underdog and compatriot Yip came on strongly to take the first. But the relentless pressure by Leo forced Yip into making numerous errors.

Although Yip put up a gallant fight towards the end of the fourth, it was not to be. Leo wins 3-1 for a showdown with the conqueror of his teammate, Farhan Zaman.

Nasir Iqbal of Pakistan upset second seed Saurav Ghosal. Saurav is well known for his speed and attrition. However today not only did Nasir match him in this department, he also used the front left with telling effect. He earned numerous points of drops and counter drops.

Though Saurav won a close first, Nasir came back strongly to take the second. The referees decisions right from the word go rattled Saurav. A clear stroke for Saurav at the end of the first rally was given as a let.

Thereafter Saurav questioned numerous calls and the explanations given were not satisfactory to Saurav. Even Nasir was at the receiving end of some questionable decisions. Needless to say both players plodded on.

Nasir ultimately won 3-1 to earn a playoff with Kuwaiti Abdullah Al-Mezayen

Home favourite Al-Mezayen was up against Malaysian number one Nafiizwan Adnan. It is always entertainment; watching the gifted Abdullah in action. No different this time.

It was a high-energy match with Nafiizwan giving everything he had and matched him to a large extent. Nafiizwan took the 2nd game just to prove a point. However the third and fourth went Abdullah’s way as he converted all the finishing shots, to safely take victory.

The legendary Qamar Zaman who watched the match said, “Mezayen plays exactly like me."

What an exciting day of squash it was.
  

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Nicol into the final

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02-May, Day TWO

01-May, Day One:
Seeds through on opening day in Kuwait

It was a busy first day in Kuwait as the 18th Asian Individual Champs got under way, with two round of action in the men's draw and one in the women's.

In the men's draw the top fifteen seeds came safely through to the pre-quarter-finals, the only non-seed left being Korea's Ko Young-Jo who beat 16th seed Addeen Idrakie in his second five-setter of the day. Ko's reward is a match against top seed Max Lee.

There were seven first round matches in the women's draw with all sixteen seeds making it through to day two where, in the words of Maj Maniam, "the real action starts".

Asians head for Kuwait

The Asian Individual Championships head for Kuwait this year with 73 (50 men and 23 women) players from 11 countries taking part.

Malaysia's Nicol David is hot favourite to regain the women's title and make it nine wins since 1998, with defending champ Annie Au seeded three in the other half of the draw. India's Dipika Pallikal and Joshana Chinappa are second and fourth seeds.

Reigning men's champ Aamir Atlas Khan is missing, while home star Abdullah Almezayen, runner-up in 2013, is third seed in the Men's draw which is topped by Hong Kong's Max Lee. India's Saurav Ghosal and Hong Kong's Leo Au fill up the remaining top seed positions.

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