Shabana, David show why they are the best
The world's top-ranked players, Egyptian Amr Shabana and Malaysia's Nicol David, were crowned champions in the Cathay Pacific Swiss Privilege Hong Kong Squash Open 2006 on Sunday.
Shabana, who defeated his younger compatriot, world number 21 Ramy Ashour, 11-10 (3-1), 3-11, 11-5, 11-10 (3-1) in 49 minutes, collected US$17,500.
In the women's section, David beat world number seven Tania Bailey of England 9-1, 10-8, 9-5 in 41 minutes.
Shabana, 27, and Ashour, 19, have played and trained together many times at home and abroad.
'Until this tournament I always thought of Ramy as a junior player,' said Shabana.
'When he beat John White, I told him it was a pretty good win for a junior, then he beat Thierry Lincou and I thought that was a bit too good for a junior. Then he beat David Palmer, the World Open champion, and I went to him and said, 'Okay, it is all different now. You are not a junior any more'.
'It is not the first time that he, as World Junior champion, has beaten a reigning World Open champion. After I won the World Open title here in Hong Kong, I went home from the Bermuda Masters and had to play him in a league match. He beat me 3-0 the day I got off the plane.'
Organised by Hong Kong Squash, the week-long event - which featured the world's top 30 players - concluded at the brand-new, all-glass squash courts at Plaza Hollywood shopping mall in Diamond Hill. Tickets for the 500-seat venue were sold out long before the match started.
Hong Kong's number one, Rebecca Chiu Wing-yin, ranked 14th in the world, dropped out of the competition after being defeated by England's Vicky Botwright in the second round last Wednesday. Botwright won 9-3, 10-8, 9-4.
Chiu, 27, defeated Tricia Chuah of Malaysia in the first round, 9-6, 9-5, 9-4, in 29 minutes.
Other Hong Kong representatives in the main draw included wild-card entries Christina Mak and Wong Wai-hang (men's category).
