By N.D. Prashant
When you are up against a champion, there is no room for complacency and United States' Natalie Grainger learnt that lesson the hard way, yesterday.
She had World No 1 Nicol David by her throat but paid the price for not going in for the kill and eventually crashed out 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-2 in the semi-finals of the Qatar Classic Squash tournament, being held at the Khalifa Squash Complex.
David now meets third seed Natalie Grinham in the summit clash today.
Natalie confirmed her place in the final by winning the fifth game tie-break after an absorbing battle with her elder sister Rachael. The contest between the Grinham siblings lasted for over an hour and Natalie finally won it 11-8, 13-15, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10.
A 52-match unbeaten record and World No 1 ranking for 27 months is enough to speak volumes about the Malaysian Champion David's dominance.
And with a fair amount of Malaysian supporters turning up to egg her on, David once again was off to a flying start with a quick 11-6 win in the opening game.
However, the experienced Grainger raised her game in the second and used the court well to her advantage. David had not lost a single game so far coming into the semis and once Grainger drew parity, the champ looked a bit rattled.
Buoyed by the win, Grainger was at her dominant best and stormed to 6-1 lead in the third game. David clearly had her back to the wall but within the next ten minutes, the crowd witnessed one of the most remarkable comebacks.
David got back the spring in her legs once she pocketed a couple of points to reduce the margin to 3-7. Even before Grainger regained her composure, David was on level terms at 7-7 and a series of errors later saw her lose the game 9-11.
"Gosh! It's always a nightmare playing against her. I thought I had her tonight. I got a bit excited once I got that lead and it eventually led to my downfall," said a dejected Grainger after the match.
Thereafter, Grainger was completely in awe of her opponent and failed to give any resistance in the must win fourth game. David literally toyed with her and in no time the game and match was cheaply in the pocket of the defending champion at 11-3.
"I just didn't want to lose that game; come what may. Once I got her away from the front and middle, I knew I had a chance. The scores don't matter, you have to keep pushing. I have been in such situations before and have always worked my way out," said a visibly pleased David after the match. |
