PETALING JAYA: Former Asian Junior champion Ivan Yuen Chee Wern admits he was surprised when he was picked for the New Delhi Commonwealth Games on Oct 4-14. The University Putra Malaysia (UPM) undergraduate will play in the individual and mixed doubles events. He will partner seasoned campaigner Sharon Wee Ee Lin in the mixed doubles category. “I look at it as a good opportunity to prove myself,” said Ivan, a business administration student.

KUALA LUMPUR: National juniorwall-bashers Raja Adam Raja Razaman and Rachael Arnold are hoping to create waves in the upcoming Hong Kong Junior Open. And winning the Under-19 CIMB National Junior Squash Circuit 2010 recently was the confidence-booster. The Hong Kong meet on Aug 11-15 will be the third outing for both youngsters in the tournament. They will be joined by 14 other boys and girls from the Under-9 to Under- 19 categories.

PETALING JAYA: World No 1 Nicol David is on route to clinch her fourth Singapore Masters title as she makes a date with Madeline Perry in the semifinal stage at Kallang Leisure Park in Singapore this evening (7.45pm). The top seed still needs to be careful in her encounter with the 33-year-old Irish opponent, who used her experience to eliminate Annie Au of Hong Kong 9-11,12-10,11-9,11-4 in her q

KUALA LUMPUR: National junior Low Wee Nee (pic) wants to prove her mettle in the Hong Kong Junior Open on Aug 11-15 after missing the Malaysian Closed recently. The Penangite, who withdrew from the national meet due to a flu on the last day of the Asian junior championships in Sri Lanka, chose to remain positive despite her earlier setback.

KUALA LUMPUR: The revival of the Malaysian Closed Championships — held a week before the CIMB Malaysian Open — helped local players.

PETALING JAYA: There was double delight for local fans at the CIMB Malaysian Open squash championships when Datuk Nicol Ann David and Mohd Azlan Iskandar defeated their respective opponents to clinch yet another double victory for Malaysia. Nicol, the world number one and top seed here, captured her sixth consecutive title while Mohd Azlan completed a hat-trick. It was the fourth time that Malaysians managed to clinch both the titles at the Malaysian Open as Nicol-Ong Beng Hee had won in 2005, Nicol-Mohd Azlan (2007) and again Nicol-Beng Hee in 2008.

PETALING JAYA: Nicol David is getting closer to defending her title as she faces Alison Waters of England in the semifinals of the CIMB Malaysian Open at 6.30pm today at The Curve in Mutiara Damansara.

KUALA LUMPUR: Saiful Amar Sudar (pic) blew his chance to play in the Super League after leaving KL for Premier League outfit PKNS before the season started. Just weeks after his transfer, KL were handed a berth in the Super League.

  KUALA LUMPUR: Low Wee Wern might have to change her plans for tomorrow after qualifying to the quarterfinals of the CIMB Malaysian Open.

KUALA LUMPUR: Jenny Duncalf is the only player in recent times to record back-to-back wins against world No1 Nicol David. But she downplayed her victories in the Qatar Open and US Open last November.

BUKIT JALIL: The quarterfinals stage of the TC Malaysian Nationals Squash Championships proved to be a feisty affair as the young squash players battled yesterday for a place in the semifinals of the men's Premier Division at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre. Fifth-seed Ivan Yuen defied the odds to beat fourth seed Md Asyraf Azan (pic), in a thrilling 3-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7, 12-10 match.

  BUKIT JALIL: The quarterfinal stage of the TC Malaysian Nationals Squash Championships today will see real action as the top seeds of the Men Premier division, Azlan Iskandar and Ong Beng Hee, start their campaign.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Closed returning to the local calendar as the TC Malaysian Nationals Squash Championships, will be a boon for local players. The tournament started yesterday at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre and serves as a warm-up for the Malaysian Open.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the early elimination from the Kent Open last week, the experience Muhd Asyraf Azan gained managing himself was an eye opener. World No 69 Asyraf was the second seed of the tournament but crashed out to England's Jonathan Harford in the first round. “This is the first time I went to Europe alone to participate in a tournament. Ivan (Yuen) was with me and we managed everything by ourselves.

  KUALA LUMPUR: Raymond Arnold is in his third year as national roving coach. He hopes to implement some radical changes as soon as he renews his contract which expired last December.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian squash queen and World No 1 Nicol David defeated Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy to lift the CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open Squash Championship title at the Berjaya Times Square here on Saturday. Nicol, the top seed in the Women's International Squash Players Association (Wispa) sanctioned competition, outclassed Omneya in straight sets 11-4, 11-2 and 13-11 in just 31 minutes.

KUALA LUMPUR: A total whitewash, a five-game comeback thriller and an upset-the Malaysian trio of Nicol David, Ong Beng Hee and Azlan Iskandar booked their semifinal spots in the CIMB KL Open at the Berjaya Times Square yesterday in contrasting but stylish fashion.

PETALING JAYA: Eighth seed and Malaysian hopeful Ong Beng Hee is hoping to continue with his fine form at this year’s CIMB KL Open at the National Squash Stadium, Bukit Jalil starting today. Beng Hee, who emerged the victor during the Chennai Open last week, is keen to add more to his trophy cabinet which has been collecting dust more than silverwares of late. However, with the Chennai Open victory, Beng Hee got the just needed boost to get him in the right frame of mind for one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.

KUALA LUMPUR: The world’s wall-bashing queen Nicol David is eager to win back the crown which she lost last year when she competes in this year’s KL Open. The US$53,500 (RM177,780) championship, the second Wispa World Tour Gold event of the year, will get underway at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil on Thursday, leading to the final on an all-glass court at Berjaya Times Square on Saturday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) welcome any move by their players, including setting up academies to contribute to the development of the sport at all levels. SRAM deputy president Datuk Syed Mustaffa Syed Ali added that the national body was supportive towards such a cause, adding that the academies will further spur the growth and development of the sport among the  masses.

KUALA LUMPUR: First it was a new apparel lineup. Now national squash player Azlan Iskandar is taking his business skills to the next level with the introduction of the Azlan Iskandar Squash Academy (Aisa) scheduled to open soon. Azlan would be the first playing athlete in the country to initiate such a set up, which has received the blessings from the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Council (NSC). Squash queen Nicol David and top shuttler Lee Chong Wei have expressed their interest in setting up an academy in their respective sports only after retiring.

KUALA LUMPUR: Siblings Mohd Nafzahizam Mohd Adnan and Mohd Nafiizwan will be setting up a squash academy to develop the sport at grassroots level. The academy, which caters for beginners and established players, will have five centres — Bukit Jalil, Jalan Duta, Bukit Bintang Boys’ School, 3K Subang Jaya and Bangsar Sports Complex. Nafzahizam, 25, said squash’s popularity is on the rise. The academy hopes to contribute a steady supply of excellent players.

PETALING JAYA: National squash player Azlan Iskandar’s wizardry on the courts could now be translated to catwalk. While Azlan is not trading his racquet to be a runway model anytime soon, Mailsport learnt that the Kuching-born is in the midst of designing his line of sports apparel.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s favourite sports personality Nicol David will begin her fifth year (and her 42nd consecutive month) as the world No 1, according to the Wispa Squash Rankings for January. The 26-year-old Penangite first took over the summit four years ago. But she cemented her current uninterrupted world No 1 run in August 2006.

KUALA LUMPUR : Ask any Malaysian about squash and the first thing that comes to mind is Nicol Ann David. Nicol is arguably the best sportswoman the country has ever produced. A jewel in the crown, the Penangite has been a revelation ever since “graduating” from the age-group categories over a decade ago. Now she is the undisputed world No 1 for the fourth year running.

KUALA LUMPUR: It was tooth-andnail till the very end, but luck was simply not on Azlan Iskandar's side as he fell short in the semifinals of the Dutch Open in Rotterdam, Holland, yesterday. Azlan beat homester Cameron Pilley in the first game but just could not last the pace as he ended losing 6-11,11- 8,11-3,12-10 in 65 minutes.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Women International Squash Professionals Association (Wispa) season for the year was concluded at the Qatar Classic Championship in Doha a few days ago. But that’s besides the fact.

DEJAVU struck in Doha yesterday as Jenny Duncalf is quickly proving to be Nicol David’s bogey rival after the world No 1 suffered a second successive semifinal loss to the Briton in the Qatar Classic Squash Championship.

LAIDBACK, nonchalant, and relaxed…yet squash queen Nicol David didn’t break a sweat as she comfortably ran compatriot Low Wee Wern ragged in a three straight game victory of 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 in the first round of the Qatar Classic Squash Championship in Doha yesterday.

NICOL DAVID will be seeking for redemption when the Qatar Classic begins today in Doha. Nicol can’t wait to bounce back after she suffered what was probably her worst defeat as world No 1 against Briton Jenny Duncalf in the semifinals of the New York Open more than a week ago.