By Paul Osborne

Low Wee Wern has high hopes for Women's World Squash Championships in Malaysia ©Getty ImagesMarch 12 - As the start of the delayed 2013 Women's World Squash Championships in Penang draws close, local star Low Wee Wern has her sights on following Malaysian superstar Nicol David and making an impression in the tournament. 


Wee Wern is due to being her World Championship campaign against Australia's former world number 13 Donna Urquhart.

Should she progress past her, Wee Wern will likely face Denmark's Line Hansen in the second round with England's number two seed Laura Massaro a probable match-up in the quarter-finals.

"My aim for this event to at least get to the quarter-finals first," said Wee Wern.

"I have to take one match at a time and if all goes well, I will be up against Laura in the quarters.

"We have had close matches before but she has beaten me on most occasions."

The qualifying rounds for the World Championships are due to get underway at the Nicol David International Squash Centre in Penang on Saturday (15 March) with the main draw action set to take place on an all-glass showcourt at the SPICE Arena from Tuesday (18 March) through to the final on Sunday 23 March.

The event is still being called the 2013 World Championships despite it being well into 2014 already.

Penang offered to step in January to host the event after no other venue could be found. 

With the majority of the world's attention penned on Malaysia's world number one David, Wee Wern, a former Asian and British Junior Open champion, will again find herself in the shadow of her inspirational compatriot.

"I remember watching Nicol win her World Junior title here back in 2001 and that was simply inspiring," said the 23-year-old who achieved a career-high world number six ranking in February 2013 and is the event's number six seed.

"Sometimes it still feels unreal that I am actually up there along with Nicol, playing the same tournaments and actually challenging her on court.

"There will be some pressure on me as well to do well here - but the huge chunk of it will be on Nicol.

"Nicol is by far the most successful squash player in Malaysia and arguably has the best track record the world has ever seen.

"But for what she has achieved, she is ever so humble and ready to help the rest of us.

"I've known of Nicol since I started playing squash but I got much closer to her over the years when I was a budding junior and slowly making my way up the rankings."

Lee Wee Wern could find herself facing England's number two seed Laura Massaro in the quarter-final stage of the World Championships ©WSALee Wee Wern could find herself facing England's number two seed Laura Massaro in the quarter-final stage of the World Championships ©WSA




Wee Wern has already notched up 16 appearances in Women's Squash Association (WSA) World Tour finals, with six titles to her credit.

Her biggest success to date came in the 2012 China Open in Shanghai, where she triumphed as the number-six seed.

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January 2014: Penang to save the day and host delayed 2013 Women's World Squash Championships