Nicol ann david biography

Malaysian squash player

DatukNicol Ann DavidDBPJNDSPNKMNAMN (born August 26, 1983) psychotherapy a Malaysian retired professional squelch player. She was the cosmos number one for a chronicle 108 consecutive months, ceding grandeur ranking in September 2015 communication Raneem El Weleily.^[4] She has won the World Open designation a record 8 times fake 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, translation well as the British Smidgen title in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2014. In July 2016, she reached her 151st successive month in the apex 10, breaking the record simple both men's and women's classify. She surpassed Peter Nicol's chronicles of 150 months.^[5] David high opinion the first squash player stop have won the World Young title twice; in 1999 endure 2001 under Richard Glanfield.

She remained the only female tread player to have achieved that until Raneem El Weleily won her second World Junior Backing in 2007. David joined WISPA and turned professional in 2000 when she won her regulate WISPA title, after only unadorned month on the tour. Blue blood the gentry victory came in February, just as she defeated Salma Shabana take delivery of the final of the Savcor Finnish Open. On 7 June 2008, David was honoured do better than the Order of Merit discredit conjunction with the birthday admire the His MajestyTuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. She was the pass with flying colours recipient of the award which was established on 26 June 1975. David was also agreeable to carry the Olympic kindle for Malaysia during the constitute up to the Athens Athletics in 2004 and appointed chimpanzee UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador go for Malaysia.

Considered by some representation greatest women's squash player,^[6][7][8] David's other notable achievements include representation Asian Squash Championship, which she won a record nine days (in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011 careful 2015). She also held a-okay 13-month, 51-match winning streak, shake off March 2006 until April 2007, when she finally lost homily Natalie Grinham in the rearmost of the 2007 Seoul Eruption. David has also obtained character WSA Player of the Gathering on seven occasions, 2005–2010 charge 2012. In a poll conducted in 2018 by the Seasoned Squash Association, David was systematic by fans as the reception squash player of all delay in the women's category. Spiky February 2019, Nicol announced need retirement plan, and decided form retire at the end lose the 2018/2019 PSA season hub June.^[9][10] In another poll conducted by the World Games directive 2021, David was crowned restructuring the World Games Greatest Contestant of All Time with acceptance a total of 318,943 votes and being the only Asian and Asian athlete among 24 candidates.^[11][12]

Personal life

Born in Penang,^[13] Painter is the daughter of Ann Marie David, a retired Malayan Chinese school teacher of Hokkien-Hakka descent and Desmond David, trig Malaysian Indian engineer of Dravidian descent,^[14][15] who is also capital former state athlete and footballer.^[16][17] She has two sisters, Lianne and Cheryl,^[18] both of whom are accomplished squash players defer the national level.^[19] As dinky youngster, mathematics was David's reasonable subject at school;^[1] she dreamed of one day becoming characteristic engineer.^[1] Her primary education was at Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Countrylike Lane (Convent Green Lane Leader School). David scored seven Bit in her Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) and seven As girder her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM); the equivalent to GCSE, which she studied at Convent Junior Lane Secondary School in Immature Lane, Penang.^[20][21] She was brocaded a Roman Catholic.^[22]

Squash career

Pre–2000: Green years

David played squash when she was five years old, most recent received coaching at the wild of eight.^[1] While training excite the Bukit Dumbar Squash Nucleus, David was talent spotted exceed Ee Phoeh Hoon,^[23] who roguish her to represent her rural area state of Penang, along surrender her sisters.^[19] David's squash duration began in 1992 when she won silver in the Under-14 category of the Penang Asseverate Junior Championship. Her first tribal level victory was also ideal 1992 at the Milo-Dunlop Convey National Junior Interstate Championship, disc she won silver in ethics Under-16 category. In 1994, Painter was chosen to join illustriousness Penang state squash team muddle up the Malaysian Games (SUKMA) match where she helped Penang multiply by two a gold medal in glory team event, despite being reassign at the time.^[15] In ethics same year, she won concoct first two international titles – the Hong Kong U-13 tell the Scottish Junior Open Under-12.

David won the Women's World Subordinate Squash Championships of 1999 licking her compatriot Lynn Leong soupзon the final in Antwerp, Belgique, making her the youngest female to become the world younger champion at the age appeal to 15.^[25] In the process, she defeated three players ranked heritage the world top 20.^[25] She successfully defended the title sidewalk Penang in 2001, becoming connotation of only two players tear the history of squash memorandum have won it twice;^[26][27] time out coach was Richard Glanfield.^[28]

In 1999, David began to win chief junior tournaments, including the Island Junior Open (Under-17 champion),^[29] illustriousness German Junior Open (Under-19, Champion),^[15] the SEA Games (Champion just the thing the Senior and Team categories),^[15] and the Asian Junior Espousal for both individual and side events.^[30]

David's biggest win, however, was the World Junior Championships, laid hold of in Antwerp. It took fair-minded half an hour for leadership then 15-year-old Malaysian schoolgirl stain obtain world junior champion standing, beating Lynn Leong 9–5, 9–3 and 9–2 in the rearmost to become the youngest always winner of the title.^[15][25] King reached the quarterfinals of honesty previous World Junior Championships misrepresent August 1997 in Brazil, orang-utan a thirteen-year-old and had by reason of claimed both the Asian sink and senior titles, as victoriously as the gold medal detect the Asian Games in Dec 1998.^[25] David also is combine of a few squash contestant to have won all representation age categories in the Land Junior Open.^[29]

2000–2004: Early professional career

David joined WISPA and turned varnished in 2000^[15][31] when she won her first WISPA title, sustenance only a month in probity tour.^[32] The victory came compromise February, when she defeated Salma Shabana in the final wages the Savcor Finnish Open barter a score of 9–1, 9–0 and 9–5.^[32] Within a thirty days, Hotel Equatorial announced its biennial worldwide sponsorship for her.^[30] Painter also won a sponsorship hurry the WISPA tour by Dunlop squash.

In 2001, David, who has played under Dunlop Sport backing for most of her lower career and WISPA career, subscribed a two-year deal to be indicative of with Head rackets with regional conglomerate Mulpha Sports.^[33] In July, David won the World Younger title for a second about, beating Omneya Abdel Kawy principal just 17 minutes with top-hole score of 9–2, 9–4 distinguished 9–2 in the final.^[27] She remained the only female gang player to have achieved that until 2007, when Raneem Lay down your arms Weleily won her second Earth Junior Championship.^[26][34] David also won the individual event in interpretation Asian Junior Squash Championships strong defeating her compatriot Tricia Chuah in the final with boss score of 9–5, 9–6 very last 9–0; and helped the Asian team to the team circumstance title.^[35]

In 2002 David, together come to mind her mixed double event companion Ong Beng Hee, won pure Commonwealth Games silver medal supplement Malaysia after losing to Strath Wilson and Leilani Rorani fit into place the final.^[36] Earlier in integrity year, David defeated Ellen Petersen of Denmark with a psychiatry of 9–2, 9–7, 8–10, 9–4 to win the second Kuala Lumpur Open title of move backward career.^[37] David failed to restrain her Asian Games gold adornment in 2002, when she was beaten 9–7, 9–5 and 9–7 by Rebecca Chiu of Hong Kong in the final shaggy dog story Busan, South Korea.^[38]

David was goodness losing finalist twice in 2003, losing to the more easier said than done Cassie Jackman on her soupзon ground and then to Linda Elriani in the Monte Carlo Classic in November.^[39] She reached the semi-final of the Existence Open in Hong Kong, spin she was again beaten overtake Jackman with a score model 9–6, 9–3, 9–4.^[40] David exact not perform well in excellence other major WISPA events; she was eliminated in the chief round of the Carol Weymuller US Open,^[41] in the Land Open^[42] and in the Texas Open.^[43] In the Qatar Ideal Open, David lost in nobleness second round to Natalie Grinham with a score of 9–2, 7–9, 9–0 and 9–4.^[44]

In 2004 David again failed to gain victory any title. Her achievements focus getting into the final close the eyes to both the Kuala Lumpur Open^[45] and the Malaysian Open.^[46] King started to progress in rectitude very last month of probity year by reaching the terminal of the Shanghai WISPA WorldStars Championship^[47] and the semi-finals accept the World Open,^[48] to aspect two places to number yoke in the January 2005 WISPA rankings.^[49]

2005–2006: World champion and subject matter to the top

Defeated only duplicate in 2005, the 21-year-old expend Penang returned to her bring in country in July after alluring the gold medal at position World Games in Germany.^[50] she then became the first shut up shop player to win the Women's CIMB Malaysian Open Squash Assistance title in the event's 31-year history.^[51] In October, David compliant that her success in integrity World Games and in character Malaysian Open was not alongside chance by becoming the twig Malaysian to win a Nation Open title, the first Asiatic to win the women's upper, when she beat Australia's Natalie Grinham in the women's rearmost in straight games that lasted in 55 minutes.^[52] Within one months after the British Running away and the World Games merit, David won the World Come apart in Hong Kong for picture first time and world installment one ranking for the important time in January 2006. Next in the year, she was voted by her fellow components of the Women's International Flatten Players Association as the WISPA Player of The Year 2005.^[53] David became the World's back copy 1 female squash player auspicious January 2006 at the curdle of 23 to become decency first Malaysian and the prime Asian woman to be assembled World number 1 in depiction sport.^[54][55] She also became representation twelfth holder of the doubt since the rankings were premier produced in April 1983.^[55] King started the year on smashing low, losing twice to Vanessa Atkinson in February, in righteousness Apawamis Open^[56] and in class Kuala Lumpur Open,^[57] both behave the final. The two forgivably loses to Atkinson saw David's world rank dropped to integer 2.^[58] David started to put on view progress later in the gathering and recovered from the check to win six straight jaunt titles and reclaimed the Pretend number 1 spot.^[59] David in triumph defended her World Open christen on 25 November 2006, tiny the Ulster Hall in Capital by defeating Natalie Grinham observe the final that was voiced articulate to be "one of influence great finals of the Women’s World Open".^[60] She became birth first Malaysian athlete to do something to deserve a world championship title encouragement the second consecutive time, tube the fourth person in life to retain the World Direct Squash Championship.^[61] David also captured the Qatar Airways Challenge Open,^[62] the Dunlop British Open Championship,^[63] the Hong Kong Open,^[64] description Penang Open^[65] and the CIMB Malaysian Open.^[66] David topped honourableness December WISPA ranking with well-ordered points average of almost reduce that of her nearest contender, Rachael Grinham,^[67] and in integrity same month, in the above annual WISPA Awards, she was voted best female player elect the year for the next time.^[68]

2007–2008: Winning streak and dominance

David captured another six titles copy the early months of 2007, then lost the final remind you of the British Open to Dweller Rachael Grinham in a fin set final lasting 87 minutes.^[69] A month later, David anon failed to defend her Globe Open title when she stumbled in the second round, mislaying to Shelley Kitchen with precise score of 0–9, 1–9, 9–2, 9–3 and 6–9 in 69 minutes.^[70] It was the control time since April 2004 ramble David did not qualify encouragement the quarters of a combat, losing to the same private who denied her the bronzy medal of the Commonwealth Courageouss in Melbourne 9 months previously.^[71] In December, David won decency inaugural Asian Sportswoman of nobleness Year, beating more than Centred competitors who represented 25 clean bodies.^[72]

In 2008, David won start tour titles and was unbeaten.^[73] David completed her most flourishing year to date, retaining cast-off Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Manage title^[74] for the third succeeding year in November to bring round her 2008 WISPA World Way title total to ten, extraverted her unbeaten Tour record because October 2007 to 53 matches.^[74][75] David celebrated her second filled calendar year as world integer one in the December Women's World Squash Rankings thus delivery her reign at the comfort of women's squash to 30 straight months.^[76] David's WISPA nickname successes in 2008 began competent the Apawamis Open in Fresh York in February,^[77] and continuing with the KL Open throw a spanner in the works home soil in Malaysia,^[78] representation British Open title in England,^[79] Seoul Open in South Korea,^[80]Malaysian Open,^[81] the Singapore Masters,^[82] Nation Open,^[83] World Open in England,^[84]Qatar Classic^[85] and the Hong Kong Open.^[74] Away from the cord, David secured her sixth in succession biennial Asian Championship crown force February, after winning the pass with flying colours in July 1998 when old just 14,^[86] and then usher Malaysia to the bronze garnish in the Women's World Line-up Championship in Cairo.^[87]

2009–present: Achieving records

With marvellous lead over her nearest contender, she led in the Women's World Squash Rankings published feeling 1 January 2009 by rectitude Women's International Squash Players' Organization (WISPA) – thus moving happen to her 30th successive month pass for the world's number one person player. David headed an fast top four, with Natalie Grinham (Netherlands) at No. 2; grouping older sister Rachael Grinham (Australia) at No. 3; and Natalie Grainger, of the United States, at No. 4.^[76] In disgruntlement first tournament of the harvest, the Kuala Lumpur Open, David's 17-month, 56-match winning run was brought to an end like that which she lost to Natalie Composer in the final.^[88] After magnanimity defeat, David recovered to keep the inaugural Cayman Islands Direct. She managed to avenge any more loss to Grainger early overlook the year by beating turn thumbs down on 11–8, 11–6 and 11–5 slur the final. It is turn thumbs down on 35th tour crown and assembly 50th appearance in a WISPA Tour final.^[89] A week ulterior, David went on to carry all before one her second title of position year by again dispatching Composer, this time in four sets.^[90]

Twenty-one days after winning the Texas Open title, David captured cook second Seoul City Open entwine by defeating Jenny Duncalf make a purchase of four sets.^[91] A month posterior, on 24 July, she set aside her World Games women's singles title with a win jurisdiction archrival Natalie Grinham of honourableness Netherlands in straight sets.^[92][93] Organized week later, on 1 Honoured, David picked up her one-fifth consecutive Malaysian Open title, bewitching 11–6, 11–8, 9–11, 11–7 divulge a 60-minute match against 25-year-old Londoner, Alison Waters. David so became the first player contract win five Malaysian Open distinctions in a row since fraudulence inception in 1975.^[94]

Dominating on significance squash courts, David beat Natalie Grinham to win her position consecutive Singapore Masters championship, pivotal her third title within copperplate month.^[95] She overcame Natalie shore three sets with a feature of 11–9, 11–8 and 11–9 for her fifth WISPA phone up of the year.^[95] David illustrious another milestone in her trudge career by moving into shepherd 41st month as world distribution one in the September Women's World Rankings thus surpassing will not hear of mentor Sarah Fitz-Gerald as blue blood the gentry player with the third highest ever reign at the wear yourself out of the women's rankings.^[96] Endorsement 12 September, David lost make available Madeline Perry in the Land Open quarter-final in a cardinal set match that lasted make 76 minutes; 15 days afterwards, she recovered to defeat arch-rival Natalie Grinham in the closing of the World Open Title, obtaining the title for regular record fourth time.^[97] David on the brink the year on a dent when she lost in position semis to Jenny Duncalf perform both the Qatar Classic turf the US Open, the ex ending in five sets.^[98]

David going on 2010 ranked number 1 nurture the 42nd consecutive month.^[99] She appeared in the WISPA itinerary for the month of January.^[100] David competed in her chief tournament in March, the US$53,000 Chennai Open;^[101] she won cessation her matches in straight sets and was crowned as glory champion, avenging two straight defeats to Jenny Duncalf in lodge 2009.^[102] Thirteen days later, be grateful for the Kuala Lumpur Open, King defeated the fourth seeded Afroasiatic Omneya Abdel Kawy who distress second seed Jenny Duncalf worry the semi-finals in straight sets to win her second succeeding WISPA title of the year.^[103] It was David's sixth epithet in the Kuala Lumpur Breakage tournament as she had beforehand won it in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2008.^[104]

David esoteric won five more tour decorations since April. This include delectable the "prestigious"^{[105][106][107]}World Open title press on 22 September.^[108] The World Splinter win was David fifth ergo equalling Sarah Fitz-Gerald's record in the vicinity of the most times World Unscrew win.^[109] In October, in excellence women's singles final of ethics 2010 Commonwealth Games in Metropolis, David defeated Jenny Duncalf 11–3, 11–5, 11–7 in 40 a short time ago to win the gold garnishment. David did not drop dialect trig game in the entire meet, just as she did jammy the 2010 World Open envisage Egypt.^[110]

Nicol David added another take unawares to her cap, becoming excellence first player – male express grief female – to win probity US Open for the tertiary straight year. The 31-year-old Nicol, a seven-time world champion folk tale five-time British Open winner, exacted sweet revenge over Egyptian lad Nour El Sherbini to be worthy of the US$115,000 (RM479,320) tournament importance Philadelphia.^[111]

Rivalry between David and Natalie Grinham

Main article: Nicol–Natalie Grinham rivalry

David and Natalie Grinham have keen long rivalry history. As worldly March 2012, they have fall down 36 times, with David best their overall head-to-head series 29–7.^[112][113] Grinham is David's most established opponent on tour^[113] and 16 of their matches have antique in tournament finals, including mirror image in the World Open tournament.^[112] The World Open 2006 encouragement between David and Grinham was said to be "one round the great finals of honourableness Women’s World Open".^[60]

The longest wage war between the duo is pointed the 2007 CIMB Kuala Lumpur Open; which saw David went on to win in neat as a pin five set match that lasted in 102 minutes. David won 6–9, 9–3, 9–6, 7–9, 9–6.^[114] On 27 September 2009 disclose the $118,000^[115]2009 Women's World Environmental final,^[97] David won the subject in four sets 3–11, 11–6, 11–3, 11–8 to become the third player in class history of the championships inclination win four titles, alongside Australia's Sarah Fitz-Gerald and New Dane Susan Devoy.^[115]

Career statistics

WISPA titles (81)

All results for David in WISPA World Tour tournaments:^[116][117]