RESULTS:      CIMB Malaysian Open Squash Championships, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Men's final:
[1] Amr Shabana (EGY) bt [2] Nick Matthew (ENG) 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 (51m)

Women's final:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [4] Alison Waters (ENG) 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7 (60m)


Top seeds Nicol David and Amr Shabana, from Malaysia and Egypt, respectively, secured the titles in the CIMB Malaysian Open today (Saturday) after scoring four-game victories over English opponents in finals of the established international squash event at The Curve Shopping Mall at Mutiara Damansara in Kuala Lumpur.

It was the fifth title triumph in a row for Nicol David in the climax of the $53,500 WISPA World Tour Gold event in front of an adoring local crowd in her country's capital.  But her surprise opponent Alison Waters, the fourth seed from London who gate-crashed the final after beating second-seeded Australian Rachael Grinham in straight games in the semis, extended the three-year-long world number one further than before in their tenth career meeting.

David, 25, from Penang, recovered after dropping the third game - her first of the tournament - to win 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7 in exactly one hour.

"I knew that Alison had made it to the final playing well, and as I had played her in Seoul I knew that it would be hard," said the new champion after clinching her fourth WISPA Tour title this year, and the 38th of her career.

When asked about her fifth Malaysian Open crown in a row, David responded:  "It is always a challenge, but I am really helped by the crowd cheering me on."

Though disappointed by her defeat, 25-year-old world No6 Waters was pleased with her performance:  "I was delighted to have reached the final and I played well yesterday to beat Rachael - which gave me confidence going into today's final with Nicol.

"This was my first gold final and I was really looking forward to it.  It was a question of sticking in there and I had my chances in all the games.  I just got my slot selection wrong at the end of a couple of them.  But I was generally pleased with my performance and that I got closer to her.

"I think we played a good match and felt this was the closest that I have got to Nicol - so overall it was a good tournament and looking forward to Singapore next week."

Amr Shabana, the three-time world champion from Cairo, was competing in KL for the first time since 2000 - and looking for his first Tour title of the year.

In the climax of the men's $52,500 PSA World Tour event, the 30-year-old was facing England's Nick Matthew, the second seed who last week won the gold medal in the World Games in Chinese Taipei.

With too many errors from the Egyptian in the first game, world No5 Matthew soon opened up a one-game lead.  But Shabana cut down the errors in the second and drew level before increasing his dominance over Matthew to forge a 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 title-winning victory after 51 minutes.

"I have no complaints," said Shabana after clinching the 23rd PSA Tour title of his career.  "It is good to win a tournament after such a long time. It has taken hard work and patience along with the realisation that I am still a good player."

Matthew admitted that his opponent deserved the win:  "I kept fighting but he was too good, even though I was throwing everything at him," explained the 29-year-old from Sheffield.

"He got the balance between defence and attack better than I did. Nothing changes really; I am trying to get into the top four and Shabana showed that he is too!"