Dipika Pallikal advances in US Open Squash

Dipika Pallikal (file photo)

India’s leading players Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa moved into the second round with stunning victories over Joelle King (New Zealand) and Annie Au (Hong Kong) on Sunday in the prestigious Delaware Investments US Open squash event being held in Philadelphia. However for Saurav Ghosal it was defeat straightaway.

Dipika, the world number 19 defeated Joelle King, who came in as a qualifier but with credentials of being a former world number four and more importantly had reached the final of a major tournament (the Carol Weymuller Open in New York) recently.

Expectedly, the New Zealander,who is returning to professional squash after being out for a brief period due to injuries, did not prove an easy opponent but the 16^th -seeded Pallikal, seeking to get back into good competitive form, fought her way from a game down to win in five games, the match lasting over an hour. Pallikal won 8-11, 13-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9. The Indian ace plays the fourth seed Alison Waters of England.

Ranked 20 in the world, Chinappa accounted for the ninth seed Au in 28 minutes of tight play. The Indian national champion won in straight games 11-6, 11-7, 12-10. She next plays sixth seed Omneya Kawy of Egypt.

Ghosal was unlucky to have faced the third seed Gregory Gaultier of France in the very first game. Although he put up a good resistance, Gregory was far too strong to win 11-5, 11-6, 12-10.