Nicol and Massaro set for possible last-eight clash

PETALING JAYA:

National squash player Nicol David (pic) is on a collision course to face Laura Massaro in the quarter-finals of the San Francisco Open in California, USA.

The eight-time world champion who received a first round bye, should be able to see herself pass Canada’s Danielle Letourneau or England’s Fiona Moverley in the second round today.

The Englishwoman is also be expected to defeat either Australia’s Donna Lobban or New Zealand’s Amanda Landers-Murphy.

Nicol has already shown that she still has it in her after she thrashed world No. 7 Massaro in the second round of the China Open 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 earlier this month.

And the 35-year-old Malaysian will be eager to inflict the same damage again if they face each other.

To advance into the final, Nicol will have a tough passage as she may go head-to-head with world No. 2 Raneem El Welily in the semi-finals.

Nicol came close to winning the tournament last year when she fought well to earn her place in the final against SarahJane Perry of England but she will want to put away any memory of the loss and go one better by winning this year’s edition of the tournament.

Defending champion and world No. 8 Perry is in the other half of the draw where she is expected to face world No. 4 Joelle King of New Zealand in the quarter-finals.