SHARM EL SHEIKH: Nicol David made a rapidly successful start to her bid to equal the record of five World Open titles when she beat Farah Abdel Meguid, one of the world’s most promising young players, in less than half an hour on Saturday.
David’s 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 victory over the 18-year-old from Cairo also showed that she is adding to her repertoire of shots in preparation for days when she cannot use her devastatingly fleet-footed movement quite so much.
There were several wristy disguises and some excellent volley drops in a relaxed performance in which the world number one, so often a containing player, attacked almost the whole way through.
"I was just ready to start playing," said David, looking slightly disappointed that the first round had not lasted longer.
"I wanted to just get the feel of the court and work my way into it as quickly as I could.
"I’m trying to bring in [to my game] whatever I can. It’s just that if I can create that time, I can do more shots. Playing Farah for the first time I put a little bit more pressure on her, to get time to play my shots."
Meguid was playing on the all-glass court for the first time, and it took two games before she seemed to sight the ball better, and to understand the trajectories it might take in the corners and from the nicks.
It was six rallies before David conceded a point, and it was eight rallies in the second game before she allowed unfortunate newcomer to get on the scoreboard.
Indeed the only delay to the champion’s early progress was when the referee declined to call the score at the end of the first game, meaning that for several seconds David was unable to leave the court.
In the second game Meguid was twice forced into boasting the ball off the back wall, and once it struck a beam above the court as it arced towards the front.
The third game saw the youngster lose more points quickly as she felt pressured into over-ambitious strokes, but suddenly at 1-6 she found some rhythm and confidence and the match finished a better contest than it began.
"I tried to get a positive feeling, and I was happy with the way I played. I was happy that I could use it for tomorrow’s match," David concluded.
That will be against another Egyptian, Raneem El Weleilly, the 11th-seeded former world junior champion from Alexandria who beat her compatriot Nour El Sherbini, aged only 14, by 11-3, 11-3, 11-7.
Earlier Egypt’s hopes of its first female semi-finalist in a World Open took a leap as Omneya Abdel Kawy got past the toughest first round hurdle in the draw.
The world number five from Cairo won 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8 against Tania Bailey, a qualifier but also a former world number four making her way back after a series of career-threatening injuries.
"I was a bit nervous, playing in a world championship in my home country for the first time," admitted Kawy.
"But I hope I will feel better from now on. I have my coach and my family here to support me."
Kawy’s chances have also been improved by the withdrawal of Rachael Grinham, the former world champion from Australia, for it moved the home hope up one slot to fourth seed, offering a better route to the semi-finals.
The other Grinham sister, Natalie, is also out.
The four times former World Open finalist was playing only her second match since giving birth to son Kieran, and her lack of match practice was evident in a tight finish against Low Wee Wern, the second best Malaysian.
Grinham was unable to convert five successive match points from 10-5 in the final game as she slipped to a 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 13-11 defeat.
"I was a bit more focused this time than in my first match back," said Grinham.
"But I need to get a bit fitter. Give me time, and there’s no reason why I can’t get back to what I was."
