By N D Prashant/Doha
Malaysian Squash sensation Nicol David is banking on innovation to keep her top billing intact. The Penang-born star, who has held on to the World No 1 ranking for over three years, feels the onus is on her to be a trend setter now.
“When everyone is looking up to you, it doubles up your job. I have reached a stage where I have to try out new things. It’s not only important for me to sustain at the top but also try out new things on court that is best to keep going ahead,” says the spellbinding fast Malaysian, who is eyeing her fourth consecutive title here at the Qatar Classic Squash Tournament.
However, with innovation comes the risk of being beaten but David is game for it. “Yes, when you try out different things on court, some can backfire. In such a scenario, I quickly get back to basics and make sure not to let the match slip. But, how much ever different things you try during practice, getting it to work in matches is a different ball game all together,” asserts the defending champion.
David’s unbeaten streak of 56 matches ended this March when Netherlands Natalie Grainger beat her 3-2 in the final of the KL Open. However, the 26-yr-old got back her success streak – winning the Cayman Islands Open, Texas Open, Seoul Open and World Games crown in July in Chinese Taipei.
“I’m always hungry for more. This is the last tournament of the season and I don’t want to take it lightly. It’s always important to start and finish off the season on a high. I shall definitely go for the fourth successive title here,” says a confident David, who completed the hat-trick of titles here in Qatar last year beating Natherlands Natalie Grainger in the final.
The World Champion is also looking forward to the off season break to recharge her battery. “I do like to keep my racquets to rest. You have to unwind at times. But off season is also time to prepare for the next grueling challenge ahead. That’s what I do with my coach back in the Netherlands,” reveals David.
So what exactly does she work on during the break? “The emphasis is on fine tuning things as of now. There is always room for improvement. You can always fine tune lot of things. Most importantly I enjoy the sport and that’s enough motivation to excel year after year.”
The tight tournament schedule has kept David away from home for most of the season but she reveals that it is tremendous support from the family that keeps her going.
“I do miss them but that’s the way life is. They understand me and realise my passion for the sport. Whenever I feel low I call them up or fly down. This has been the pattern for several years now and so it is okay.”
Like most sportsperson David’s dream is to represent her country at the Olympics. However, with Squash failing to get the Olympic nod for the 2016 Games in Rio it’s almost curtains for her. “I will be too old by 2020 but if we gets through also I will be happy. I will like to be the part of the team,” added David, who was spearheading the campaign for inclusion of Squash at Olympics.
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