KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — The last time Nicol David dropped a game in the first round of the Women’s World Championship (WWC) was in 2001, when she prevailed in four games over Egypt’s Maha Zein.

Since then, her victories in the opening round have all been clinical, done and dusted without fuss.

But yesterday, in front of her home fans and at her own Nicol David Arena at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil, the Penangite showed jitters and trailed Rachael Grinham 2-1 at one stage before the Malaysian disposed of the Australian to win 11-4, 8-11, 8-11, 11-1, 11-2.

The eight-time world champion admitted she did not expect such resistance from the 2007 world champion.

“Rachael got a flurry of points from the second game onwards and that caught me off guard. I knew I had to do something extra after the second game, but she kept taking her chances. Only when I started hitting better and attacking more did I get into my groove,” said Nicol after the 46-minute victory.

The 32-year-old has yet to win the sport’s premier accolade on home soil and conceded it won't get any easier this week.

“It is getting tougher, you don’t always get drawn to a former world champion in the opening round. I'm beginning to get the court feeling and am looking forward to play my best squash,” said the Penangite, whose last title came at the Hong Kong Open in December.

The world No 5 takes on England’s Alison Waters, who overcame Egypt’s Heba El Torky 13-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-7.

“I'm the underdog. I’m just looking forward to another great game,” said Waters 

Alison, the world No 11, beat Nicol in the quarterfinals of the Tournament of Champions in New York in January but Nicol got her revenge a month later at the Windy City Open quarterfinals in Chicago.