WORLD SQUASH NEWS

RESULTS: AirAsia Asian Squash Championships, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Men's semi-finals:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [3/4] Moh'd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 7-9, 9-2, 9-2, 9-1
[2] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt [3/4] Shahid Zaman (PAK) 6-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-0

Women's semi-finals:
[1] Nicol David (MAS) bt [5/8] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 9-3, 10-8, 9-4
[3/4] Sharon Wee (MAS) bt [2] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 4-9, 9-7, 9-6, 9-5

Wee Makes It An All-Malaysian Women's Final

Malaysia's Sharon Wee pulled off a stunning upset in today's (Monday) women's semi-finals in the AirAsia Asian Squash Championships when she came back from a game down to overcome Asian Games champion Rebecca Chiu to set up an all-Malaysian final against title-holder Nicol David in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pakistan's Mansoor Zaman will be hoping to prevent a Malaysian double when he faces local favourite Ong Beng Hee in the men's final for the third successive time.

Chiu, runner-up in the last two events, was seeded to meet favourite Nicol David in the women's final.  Ranked 19 in the world, the 25-year-old from Hong Kong took the opening game against Wee, ranked nine places below.  But the 26-year-old Malaysian No2 from Malacca, who with David has been training this year with Australian coach Liz Irving in Amsterdam, overcame her nervous start to take control in the next three games to win 4-9 9-7 9-6 9-5.

"It was a great win for Sharon - her stint in Amsterdam has certainly paid off," said Squash Malaysia Director AJ Wong.  "She was all in tears after the match."

Nicol David booked her fourth consecutive Asian women's final after beating the determined India No1 and British U19 Open runner-up Joshna Chinappa in straight games.  Joshna was 8-7 up in the second game but was too nervous to finish the game.  Nicol levelled up and took the next two points in one service - then went on to win 9-3 10-8 9-4.

Top seed Ong Beng Hee looks good for a hat-trick of titles.  After a gruelling 40-minute first game, which was won by underdog Mohammed Azlan Iskandar, the Malaysian No2 was a spent force.  Beng Hee wrapped up the match in double quick time, taking the next three games for the loss of just five points to win 7-9 9-2 9-2 9-1.

In the other men's semi-final, Mansoor Zaman repeated Beng Hee's style by despatching his cousin Shahid Zaman in four games - avenging his recent defeat by the Pakistan No2 with a 6-9 9-2 9-5 9-0 victory. 

Second seed Mansoor was runner-up to Beng Hee in the last two Asian Championship's finals.  But this year the world No19 from Peshawar has the advantage of being ranked ahead of the Malaysian, for the first time in his career.