Nicol David Celebrates Third World Open Title
23 Oct 2008
World number one Nicol David extended her unbeaten run for almost a year when she beat England's Vicky Botwright in the final of the Women's World Open in Manchester to celebrate her third world title in the English city.
The Prince star was in devastating form throughout the tournament - only dropping her first game of the event in the final before triumphing 5-11, 11-1, 11-6, 11-9 in 44 minutes to secure her tenth Tour title in a row!
"I really wanted this win badly," said Nicol after receiving the trophy. "I was really prepared for this event - and was determined to give it everything I'd got."
Botwright paid tribute to the three-time champion: "Nicol has taken the game to a new level. She's super-fast and a great ambassador for the sport."
Nicol David, whose racquet choice is the Prince O3 Speedport Black, has now extended her run to 43 matches without defeat. The Manchester World Open success takes her career WISPA tally to 32 titles.
Fellow Team Prince player James Willstrop also celebrated a successful run in the Men's World Open, staged in conjunction with the women's event in Manchester. The Englishman, who also relies on the Prince O3 Speedport Black, battled through to the quarter-finals where he bowed out in five games to Australia's British Open champion David Palmer.
Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema showed off all his skills to hold off Farhan Mehboob in the second round. The 15th seed and his Prince O3 Speedport Tour twice came from behind to beat the rising Pakistani star in 87 minutes to earn a place in the last sixteen.
It was a case of 13th time lucky for Jenny Duncalf when the rising English star upset world number two Natalie Grinham for the first time after 12 successive defeats. Duncalf used her Prince O3 Black to devastating effect to beat her Dutch opponent 11-8, 10-12, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7 before suffering her first ever on-court injury in the semi-finals where she was forced to withdraw after just two games.
Hong Kong teenager Annie Au became the only qualifier to earn a place in the women's last sixteen when she beat Samantha Teran, the 16th seed from Mexico, in the opening round. The 19-year-old former Asian Junior champion, a Prince O3 Hybrid Vendetta user, is making rapid strides on the WISPA World Tour, with three Tour titles to her name in the past four months.
By joining compatriot Annie Au in the second round, Rebecca Chiu provided a second Hong Kong player in the last 16 of the World Open for the first time. Wielding a Prince O3 Black, Chiu beat fellow Prince player Lauren Briggs in the first round.
Popular Prince star John White, the former world number one renowned as the hardest-hitter of the ball, delighted the crowds at the National Squash Centre by reaching the second round. But the US-based Scot then faced brand partner James Willstrop! The encounter captivated the crowd - and, as White shook victor Willstrop's hand at the conclusion, he announced that the match would be his last, and he would be retiring from the international circuit with immediate effect.
The brand boasted highly successful performances in the qualifying competitions: Five Prince players earned places in the men's main draw - with Mexican Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (Prince Hybrid Attack) celebrating his maiden appearance in the event by going on to become one of only two qualifiers to reach the second round after beating experienced Egyptian Mohammed Abbas.
France's Mathieu Castagnet (Prince O3 Speedport Black) and German Simon Rosner and Englishmen Ben Ford and Robbie Temple (all Prince O3 Speedport Tour) all celebrated their World Open debuts by winning their respective qualifying finals.
Boosted by her Prince O3 Speedport Black, rising Malaysian star Delia Arnold reached the women's main draw for the first time after beating higher-ranked Indian Joshna Chinappa in the qualifying finals.
The Prince O3 Black led USA's Latasha Khan through to the women's main draw for the ninth time after beating England's Lauren Siddall.