KUALA LUMPUR: It was a sad end for defending champion Nicol David in the Qatar Classic.
The 32-year-old Penangite, seeded second, failed to make the final after she was upset by sixth seed Nour El Sherbini of Egypt 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 4-11, 9-11 in 60 minutes at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.
It was a belated birthday present for Sherbini, who turned 20 on Nov 1.
The Egyptian will face fourth seed Laura Massaro of England in the final.
It was the first ever final for the Englishwoman in the tournament.
Massaro only needed 25 minutes to beat fifth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy of Egypt 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 in the first semi-finals match.
