Nicol David's love affair with the city continued last night, as she took her seventh title in a row here at the Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open last night.
David, who won the first of her six world championships in Hong Kong in 2005 and has won this event every year since, was simply too good for the 10th seed, Egypt's Raneem El Weleily, racing to a two-game lead in 13 minutes on the outdoor glass court at the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui before winning 11-5, 11-4, 11-9.
Third seed James Willstrop, from England, won the men's title for a first time, beating second seed Karim Darwish 11-5, 11-9, 11-4.
'I always love coming back to Hong Kong - this is one of my favourite venues. I've so many good memories,' said David, who beat Hong Kong's Annie Au Wing-chi in the semi-finals.
The win caps an amazing 2011 for the Malaysian, who has dominated women's squash since taking that first World Open in Hong Kong. She won that title for an unprecedented sixth time a fortnight ago and became the first active player to be inducted into squash's Hall of Fame.
'It feels great,' the 28-year-old added. 'After winning the World Open, I just wanted to bring that top-quality game here. The feeling I had today was close to what I felt in the Worlds, it was great to approach that level again as this is such a great event and place.'
David barely gave El Weleily a look-in in the first two games, and although the third was tighter, the 22-year-old could not push David to a fourth. David will head to Disneyland today to spend some of her HK$79,560 winner's cheque, before taking the rest of the year off.