Nicol marches into U.S Open final, Wee Wern bows out

Seven-time world champion Datuk Nicol Ann David is on track to defend the United States Open Squash Championship title after dispatching off her opponent in the semi-final match.

Nicol beat Joelle King of New Zealand in 38 minutes in straight set of 14-12, 11-4, 11-6 in the semi-final held at Drexel University, Philadelphia on Thursday.

"I started well but Joelle came back strong at the end of the first. I told myself, I couldn't let her get that one, so I dug in, then managed to push through in the next two games.

"It's good to be back in the final, I'll just rest up, focus on what I need to do and go out and give it all," Nicol was quoted as saying in the competition official website, www.usopensquash.com.

In the first set, Nicol had to fight hard when Joelle managed to level the score 8-8 and earned a game ball at 10-9 due to some errors from Nicol.

The world number one held firm though, took the lead 14-12 and played the next two games with grit to seal the game 11-4, 11-6.

Nicol will meet second seed and world number two Laura Massaro of England in the final.

Laura booked her berth in the finals after beating Malaysia's number two, Low Wee Wern in a gruelling five set thriller which lasted one hour 26 minutes.

Laura won the match 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7.

"I started well, it's just a pity I couldn't carry on like that for the whole match. Wee Wern played well, she's like a human sponge, she just keeps soaking everything up and you end up just having to go for something," Laura said.

The US Open women's final will be held at 7pm today (7am Malaysian time, Saturday).

Niaga SPOTLIGHT: Financial Inclusion via Innovative FinTech

12% of Malaysia ie; 7 million Malaysians, primarily from rural areas are unbanked - meaning they cannot access any financial services.

This is a dire need in Malaysia due to the country’s fast growth rate in mobile banking and e-money transactions, which quadrupled to RM800 billion in 2021.

Moreover, the existence of financial inclusion gaps among underserved communities such as women, gig workers, and lower-income earners requires significant attention.

Niaga Spotlight speaks with Nisa Ismail, CEO, Sedania As Salam Capital Sdn Bhd (SASC) about the latest in Financial Inclusion via FinTech to help close socioeconomic gaps, especially in rural areas.

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