Top Seeds Triumph In NSC Series In Malaysia

Event favourites Sharon Wee and Karim Abdel Gawad, from Malaysia and Egypt, respectively, triumphed in contrasting styles in the NSC Series No2 Squash Championships at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Sharon Wee recorded her first WISPA World Tour title success since November 2007 with an impressive display in the $4,000 event on home soil.

But her opponent in the final enjoyed one of her best ever performances on the international squash circuit. Maria Toor Pakay, a qualifier from Pakistan ranked 126 in the world, defeated a series of seeds en-route to her second appearance in a Tour final.

The 19-year-old left-hander from Islamabad's biggest scalp was second seed Song Sun-Mi, the world No46 from South Korea.

But 32-year-old Wee, ranked 34 in the world, was too strong for Pakay, winning 13-11, 11-8, 11-1 in 33 minutes to claim the eighth Tour title of her career.

There was also Pakistan disappointment in the final of the men's $6,000 PSA World Tour event. But second seed Waqar Mehboob, the 18-year-old world No110 from Peshawar, stretched favourite Karim Abdel Gawad to five games before the Egyptian, also 18, prevailed 11-9, 11-1, 10-12, 5-11, 11-5 in 67 minutes.

The win marks Cairo-based Gawad's fifth PSA Tour title success in seven final appearances.