Nick Matthew & Nicol David Triumph In Amsterdam
Women's final:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [2] Natalie Grinham (NED) 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 (55m)
Men's final:
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [3] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 12-10 (79m)
While it was first-time success for England's Nick Matthew in the men's final of the Forexx Dutch Open Squash 2008, Malaysian Nicol David celebrated her third title in a row in the women's final of mainland Europe’s biggest squash tournament at the Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam.
Having contested ten major finals over the last two years, David and two-time Dutch Open champion Natalie Grinham were no strangers to the big occasion in the climax of the $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold championship. Their matches are invariably long and this was no exception - the first game alone lasted 23 minutes.
Second seed Grinham, the former Australian looking for her first Tour title since acquiring Dutch nationality in February, led in the first two games - but world number one David fought back to take both 11-9. An early lead in the third proved too much for the world number three to overcome as the Malaysian romped home to win 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 in 55 minutes.
The triumph extends David's unbeaten run to 38 matches and nine WISPA titles since November - and brings her career tally to 31 titles.
"That was a great match, we had some really monster rallies, like we always do, and it definitely didn't feel like a 3/0," David told the tournament website www.dutchopensquash.nl afterwards. "She took it on when she had the opportunity, she trains on this court and she was finding some lovely angles in the first game. I had to try to find my game and step it up, and luckily I managed to get those last two points in the first two games.
"I'm really pleased with my focus and my game, and I'm delighted to win the Dutch Open again, I'm looking forward to next year already!"
The final of the men's $30,000 PSA Tour event guaranteed a new name on the trophy. Top seed Nick Matthew, back on court after an eight-month injury layoff, faced improving Australian Cameron Pilley - who had beaten home favourite Laurens Jan Anjema in a marathon semi-final.
Matthew, competing in his first tournament of the year yet still ranked eighth in the world, took a two-game lead. The 25-year-old from New South Wales pulled one back and, despite his obvious tiredness, hung in to take the fourth game to extra points before Matthew completed a highly successful comeback to take his first Dutch Open title 11-8, 11-6, 6-11, 12-10 after 79 minutes.
The success lands Matthew the seventh PSA Tour title of his career - and will give the 28-year-old from Sheffield a major boost in the countdown to next month's Hi-Tec World Open on home soil in Manchester.