NEW DELHI, Oct 5 Nicol David, the overwhelming favourite to complete the capture of the only major squash title to elude her, had to work unexpectedly hard before reaching the women's singles quarter-finals at the Commonwealth Games.

David was 2-8 and 5-9 down in the second game, and also had to survive a game point at 9-10 against Joshna Chinappa, the home hope, before winning 11-5, 12-10, 11-7.

The five times World Open champion was helped by Chinappa serving out on that game point, after which the match swung gradually in David's favour, though never emphatically.

“Joshna is dangerous,” David said of the 24-year-old former British junior champion from Chennai who has surprising not yet broke into the world's top 30.

“She was on fire and going for everything, and with the home crowd she had an extra push. I had to really push as well and find something extra to get through it.

“I really had to be strong and solid and enforce my game. It was a difficult match.”

David has moved so far ahead of the field in 2010 that she does not get many of those. She remains unbeaten this year and has been world number one for 55 consecutive months -- but suddenly found herself under rare pressure.

Chinappa struck the ball hard and found a good touch in the front court.

This forced David to scamper and retrieve, and to work hard to get back into the second game.

“I feel awful about that game point,” said Chinappa, who felt that at one game all she could have begun to apply mental pressure on a famous opponent who collapsed dramatically at the Commonwealth Games four years ago in Melbourne.

“I'm trying not to think about that,” Chinappa said. “I had some opportunities, but then she was just too good when it mattered.”

David used the mini-crisis to show that she is by degrees evolving from a player who is a retriever into one who more often uses her brilliant movement to apply pressure with early-taken solid drives.

She now plays Laura Massaro, the fifth-seeded English player who played well while overcoming Alana Miller 11-7, 11-4, 11-3, the defeat ending the 30-year-old Canadian's career.

“It feels so weird. I decided some time ago (to retire), but wanted to slip away unnoticed -- I wanted to do it quietly,” Miller said, doing well to hold back the tears.

Two other English players, the second and third seeded Jenny Duncalf and Alison Waters, who have been David's nearest rivals this year, also came through.

The other singles favourite, Nick Matthew, had to work even harder to make the last eight.

For the second day in a row the Englishman dropped a game, though this time, in a 10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 win over Aamir Khan of Pakistan, he finished more strongly than previously.

Matthew was unwell before the tournament and now has just three days left in which to find the form to capture the title in what he regards as the highest profile event in squash.

Results

Men's singles

Third round Nick Matthew (ENG x1) bt Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK x10) 10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5; Cameron Pilley (AUS x7) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS x14) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8; Peter Barker (ENG x3) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND x11) bt 11-5, 11-9, 11-13, 11-5; Stewart Boswell (AUS x8) bt Farhan Mahboob (PAK x13) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8.

Women's singles

Third round Joelle King (NZL x12) bt Donna Urquhart (AUS x8) 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4; Alison Waters (ENG x3) bt Stephanie Edmison (CAN) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3; Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL x7) bt Low Wee Wern (MAS x9) 11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-4; Jenny Duncalf (ENG x2) bt Sarah Kippax (ENG x10) 4-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-2; Nicol David (MAS x1) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND x15) 11-5, 12-10, 11-7; Madeline Perry (NIR x4) bt Lisa Camilleri (AUS x13) 11-4, 11-4, 11-5; Laura Massaro (ENG x5) bt Alana Miller (CAN x16) 11-7, 11-4, 11-3; Kasey Brown (AUS x6) bt Delia Arnold (MAS x11) 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5.—AFP