RESULTS:    Women's Marsh Apawamis Squash Open, Apawamis Club, Rye, NY, USA

Final:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [2] Natalie Grinham (AUS) 9-1, 9-6, 6-6 ret. (45m)


The latest display in the long-standing rivalry between the world's top two women squash players provided a victory for world number one Nicol David - but it was a disappointing climax to the Women's Marsh Apawamis Open when world number two Natalie Grinham was forced to retire injured in the third game of the final of the first WISPA World Tour Gold event of the year at the Apawamis Club in Rye in the US state of New York.

Malaysian David, competing in her first event of the New Year, was keen to carry on where she left off in 2007, when she won her final two events, the Qatar Classic and the Hong Kong Open.

And the 24-year-old from Penang soon built up a two-game lead in the Rye final. 

But Grinham, the 29-year-old Australian keen to reduce the gap in the pair's 10-6 head-to-head record, forced her way back into the match in the third.  But at six-all, Grinham Natalie slipped over and injured her right foot.

After attempting to play on for a few minutes, the Queenslander was forced to retire and concede the match to the favourite.

The win takes David's career WISPA World Tour title tally to 25 - and strengthens her grip on the coveted world number one ranking.