Nicol David has undoubtedly experienced a tough year, especially after losing her world number one status to Egyptian Raneem El Weleily in September.
But yesterday, the 32 year-old failed to defend her Qatar Classic title, as she was defeated by Nour El-Sherbini in the semis, which means that Nicol has now failed to make the final of a tournament for the fifth consecutive time.
While it’s difficult to fathom her slump in form, Liz Irving, who is Nicol’s coach, offered a tangible explanation and even went on to suggest that it’s not impossible for her to turn things around.
“I admit, it’s been a bad year. Nicol has failed to advance to the final of her last five tournaments,” Liz told Sinar Harian.
“She looks like she’s stopped believing in herself. But maybe that’s a good thing for the time being. It’s better for her to compete as an underdog.
“We have been working hard to improve on various aspects. For me, Nicol just needs to be consistent and she needs to start believing in herself again,” Liz added.
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