Nicol expects electrifying atmosphere in upcoming World Squash championship

The current World Champion is anticipating the partisan support from the home crowd to give her an encouragement as she aims for her ninth glory in the prestigious tournament.

“I’ll make the most of this opportunity playing in Malaysia and I’m pretty sure the atmosphere will be full of energy in the stadium," she was quoted as saying in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) website;www.psaworldtour.com, yesterday.

"Of course, it would be a huge bonus [to win the title in front of her own fans] but my main goal is to just enjoy this moment to play in Malaysia, while gunning for the challenge at hand,” said the eight-time world champion.

Nicol who suffered a mixed fortune this season including losing the top spot in the world rankings to England's Laura Massaro since January this year noted that her experiences have only served to help her focus on how to get to the next level in her game.

"The season for me has certainly been an adjustment. As this process is still ongoing, I’ve been making the most of my tournaments to work on my consistency with the adjustments.

"I have certainly had my own struggles over the past two years and it reflects on my performances and my ranking.

“However, through these experiences, I’m growing as a person and I’m aiming to take these steps towards my next level of squash,” the Penangite added.

Nicol will kick-off her title defence against Rachael Grinham of Australia in the opening match on Tuesday.