Nicol David Gets 2010 Campaign Underway In Chennai

World number one Nicol David made an impressive start to her 2010 WISPA World Tour campaign today at the Chennai Open - but the Malaysian disappointed the local crowd at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai by beating India's second best woman player Dipika Pallikal in straight games in the opening round of the $53,500 WISPA Gold event.

Seeded to win the 42nd Tour event of her career, David got in to her rhythm swiftly and claimed the first game in just six minutes. After assessing her opponent in this way, the 26-year-old from Penang was then seen to be much relaxed. Though David took the second game at the expense of three more points, the favourite was not unduly worried even when Pallikal ran up a 4-0 lead in the third game.

But David tightened up her game and closed out the match 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 after 30 minutes to set up a quarter-final clash with close friend Samantha Teran. The eighth-seeded Mexican fought off a determined attack by Donna Urquhart to beat the Australian qualifier 11-3, 3-11, 11-3, 11-4.

New Zealander Jaclyn Hawkes made amends for a premature exit in last month's Creteil International Open in France by producing the women's event's only upset - defeating Ireland's No4 seed Madeline Perry, the world No7, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9.

The unseeded 27-year-old from Auckland, ranked ten places below Perry in the March WISPA world list, now faces Kasey Brown, the No7 seed from Australia who recovered from a game down to beat India's top-ranked player Joshna Chinappa 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5.

A Malaysian is also expected to lift the men's $25,000 PSA World Tour event title - but Ong Beng Hee was taken the full distance by Ivan Yuen before overcoming his compatriot 11-6, 3-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-3 in 50 minutes to claim his anticipated place in the last eight.

The Penang-born 30-year-old will now face Frenchman Yann Perrin after the No7 seed battled for 70 minutes to quash Malaysian Muhd Asyraf Azan 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6.

And Chennai also provided the latest opportunity for England's Laurence Delasaux to show off his prowess when he upset fifth-seeded South African Stephen Coppinger 11-7, 13-11, 11-6 to become the only unseeded player in the men's quarter-finals.

Delasaux - who rejoined the PSA Tour last year after a break of more than two years, since when he has picked up three titles and established a new career-high world No71 ranking - will now meet compatriot Jonathan Kemp, the No2 seed from Halifax who ousted Danish qualifier Kristian Frost Olesen 11-8, 11-4, 11-4.

In the first match of the day, Ritwik Bhattacharya of India failed to maintain the promise of his play in the first game in which he led 5-1 before being caught by his tail by Scotland's eighth seed Alan Clyne.

"Bhattacharya had his chances on a number of occasions but failed to cash in on them and was ruing every point that he lost on his committing silly errors," said event spokesman Cyrus Poncha. "The other good patch of his game today was claiming the third game and taking the last two points with superb winners."

However, world No69 Clyne recovered well to beat Bhattacharya, ranked 115, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-9.

Fourth-seeded Saurav Ghosal ensured Indian interest in the quarter-finals with a straight games win over compatriot Harinder Pal Sandhu 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 in 40 minutes. But Siddharth Suchde, a qualifier from Mumbai, was pipped in the fifth game by Chris Simpson, the sixth seed from England.

Simpson twice led, but Sandhu came back on both occasions to level the match. But the Englishman showed his experience in the decider to win 14-12, 3-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7 after 95 minutes.

Women's 1st round:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [Q] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 (30m)
[8] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [Q] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-3, 3-11, 11-3, 11-4 (29m)
Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt [4] Madeline Perry (IRL) 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (40m)
[7] Kasey Brown (AUS) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND) 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (37m)
[6] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (20m)
[3] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt [Q] Delia Arnold (MAS) 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6
[5] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt [Q] Low Wee Wern (MAS) 11-2, 8-11, 3-11, 11-5, 11-7 (51m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (ENG) bt Annie Au (HKG) 8-11, 11-7, 11-0, 11-2 (34m)

Men's 1st round:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-6, 3-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-3 (50m)
[7] Yann Perrin (FRA) bt Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6 (70m)
[3] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt Ramit Tandon (IND) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4
[8] Alan Clyne (SCO) bt [Q] Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-9 (41m)
[6] Chris Simpson (ENG) bt [Q] Siddharth Suchde (IND) 14-12, 3-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7 (95m)
[4] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [Q] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (40m)
Laurence Delasaux (ENG) bt [5] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-7, 13-11, 11-6 (47m)
[2] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt [Q] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 (30m)