Nicol and Wee Wern clear first hurdle in Carol Weymuller Open

Malaysian squash queen and world number one player, Nicol David got off to a better start in the opening round of the Carol Weymuller Open 2013 in New York, United States.

The top seed, however, was given a tough fight in the first set before defeating her opponent, Australian Donna Urquhart, 11-8, 11-6 and 11-4 in the match held at the Heights Casino in Brooklyn, early Friday.

On her victory, Nicol who is seven-time world champion, said she was happy with her performance although she made a few errors in the first set.

"I think I just started to tighten up better at the end of the first and kept solid in the second and third (sets)," she was quoted in the tournament website www.squashsite.co.uk, as saying.

Nicol will square off against unheralded player, Dipika Pallikal after the unseeded Indian pulled off a major upset when she knocked out eighth seed, Kasey Brown of Australia, 6-11, 10-12, 13-11, 11-8 and 11-9.

For the record, Nicol did not win the tournament after losing in the semi-finals in 2009 and quarter-finals, last year and she did not compete in the 2010 and 2011 editions.

National women's number two player, Low Wee Wern, the tournament fifth seed, also cruised to the quarter-finals after defeating Guyanese qualifier, Nicolette Fernandes, 13-11, 11-7, 4-11 and 11-3.

The 23-year-old Penangite who ranked seventh in the world, however, will have a tough ride in the quarter-finals later today as she will meet second seed, Laura Massaro of England.

Laura, 29, booked her place to the next round of the tournament with a total prize money of US$50,000 (RM158,811) after she outclassed Ireland qualifier, Aisling Blake, 11-4, 11-7 and 11-6.