NEW DELHI, Oct 10 Nicol David kept alive her chances of winning two Commonwealth gold medals whilst discovering that her foray into mixed doubles was bringing some of the most unusual opponents of her career.

The five-time world champion partnered Ong Bee Hee to a 11-3, 11-5 win over Khaaliqa Nimji and Hardeep Reel of Kenya which would have been a routine win for the Malaysians except that Nimji is the youngest athlete in the Games.

Aged only 12, Nimji played many of the rallies with a smile, stroked the ball fluently, and avoided being overwhelmed by one of the most famous squash players of all time.

The previous day David and Ong were surprisingly beaten by Scottish opponents, Lisa Aitken and David Leitch, with their own claim to rarity.

Aitken, from Dundee, is ranked down at 183 in the world, while Leitch, who is studying for a PhD at Cambridge University, has never had a world ranking.

Even more remarkable, Scotland only has one doubles court -- way up in the Shetland Islands.

“Doubles is so different,” David commented after the shock 11-9, 11-5 loss.

“It's all about communication, and the first match is always difficult.”

If David and Beng also beat Stephanie Edmison and Andrew McDougall of Canada on Monday they will still qualify for the last eight.

But for an hour or so the focus was as much on the 12-year-old Nimji as upon the highest profile player in the sport.—AFP