Top Seeds Take Dutch Open Titles

Top seeds Nicol David and David Palmer claimed the titles in the Forexx Dutch Open after two highly contrasting squash finals at the Frans Otten Stadion in the Netherlands capital city Amsterdam.

A devastating display by defending champion Nicol David in the climax of the eighth WISPA Gold event of the year saw the world number one from Malaysia defeat Australian rival Rachael Grinham, the No3 seed, 9-4, 9-1, 9-6 in just 35 minutes.

It was David's 14th successive win over the former world number one from Queensland who upset her higher-ranked sister Natalie Grinham in the semi-finals to reach her 41st Tour final.

David, the 24-year-old from Penang who is based in Amsterdam, was competing in her 16th successive WISPA World Tour final after a similarly decisive straight games win over Natalie Grainger, the world No5 from the USA, in the semi-finals.

The triumph extends David's WISPA title haul to six this year, and to 22 over her career since February 2000.

In the men's final, world champion David Palmer needed 97 minutes to overcome surprise opponent Laurens Jan Anjema, the in-form local hero from The Hague who has been training with Palmer for the past six months.

It was only the pair's second ever meeting on the PSA Tour, but 24-year-old Dutch National champion Anjema - the third seed and winner of the Open title in 2004 - delighted the packed and partisan crowd when he established a 2/1 lead over the experienced world number three after two dramatic tie-break games.

But 31-year-old Palmer fought back to level the match - then maintained the upper hand in the fifth to grind out an 11-10 (5-3), 1-11, 10-11 (3-5), 11-1, 11-6 victory.

The success marks the 21st PSA Tour title of Palmer's career - and extends his lead ahead of Frenchman Thierry Lincou, with 18 titles, as the current player with the most Tour trophies to his name.

Women's final:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 9-4, 9-1, 9-6 (35m)

Men's Final:
[1] David Palmer (AUS) bt [3] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-10 (5-3), 1-11, 10-11 (3-5), 11-1, 11-6 (97m)