Contrasting Fortunes For Nicols In Kuwait

The finals of the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open produced contrasting fortunes for the sport's two famous Nicols - with Malaysia's Nicol David beating Natalie Grainger in the women's final to lift the first WISPA Grand Prix title of her career, and England's Peter Nicol missing out on the chance to claim his 50th PSA Tour crown by going down in four games in the men's final to Australia's David Palmer.

For the third successive day, the major tournament dedicated to the memory of Sheikha Al Sa'ad Al-Sabah, a member of the Kuwaiti Royal family who died two years ago, was affected by rain - with action transferred from the all-glass showcourt mounted at the Green Island leisure park to the conventional plaster courts at the Salmiya Club in Kuwait City.

British Open champion David Palmer, the third seed, was facing his third successive England team player in the event after beating Yorkshiremen James Willstrop and second seed Lee Beachill in the previous rounds. Fourth seed Nicol was perhaps feeling the effects of his 85-quarter-final marathon against Australian Anthony Ricketts - in which he saved six match-balls before sealing victory - and then his semi-final upset over top-seeded Frenchman Thierry Lincou.

Palmer took the opening game before the English left-hander drew level with a masterful display of inventive squash. But the Belgium-based Australian, in his 33rd PSA final, reasserted his authority on the game to clinch an 11-4 9-11 11-3 11-6 victory in 45 minutes to claim his 16th PSA crown.

Earlier, Malaysia's twice world junior champion Nicol David truly came of age on the senior circuit when she triumphed 4-9 9-6 9-7 10-8 in 45 minutes over experienced sixth seed Natalie Grainger.

Both players had produced stunning upsets to reach the Kuwait climax - David trouncing Australia's world No1 Rachael Grinham after being whitewashed in the first game, and Grainger inflicting the first defeat in four tournaments on the world No2 from the Netherlands Vanessa Atkinson.

"When I got to the court, Natalie started off at a furious pace and I had all my attention on just trying to hold on to her and slow the rhythms down to where I could play my own game," said Nicol after winning her fifth, and biggest, WISPA World Tour title.

Men's final:
[3] David Palmer (AUS) bt [4] Peter Nicol (ENG) 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6 (45m)

Women's final:
[4] Nicol David (MAS) bt [6] Natalie Grainger (USA) 4-9, 9-6, 9-7, 10-8 (45m)