US Open Squash 2015: Dipika Pallikal Stuns World No. 5; Joshna Chinappa Exits

Dipika Pallikal (right) in action at the US Open (Image courtesy: US Open)

It was a day of mixed fortunes for the Indian squash fraternity as the India No. 1 Dipika Pallikal progressed into the quarter-finals of the prestigious $150,000 US Open but her compatriot Joshna Chinappa crashed out in the Round of 16 of this World Series event.

The 19th-ranked Pallikal put up a gutsy effort to eke out a 9-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-1, 11-6 win over the fourth seed and World No. 5 Alison Waters of England. However, the 20th-ranked Chinappa ran out of steam and fell 10-12, 6-11, 5-11 to the World No. 6 Omneya Abdel Kawy of Egypt.

The result deprives Indians fans of an all-Indian quarter-final clash at the US Open.

3rd quarter-final in a major PSA World Series event for Dipika

It is a huge boost for the Indian squash queen Dipika Pallikal who had been struggling a bit recently. Her last three tournaments had ended in first round losses. But the 24-year-old managed to reverse the trend at the US Open when she secured a hard-fought five-game victory over the resurgent former World No. 4 Joelle King on Sunday.

Pallikal brought that confidence into the second round when she faced the fourth seed Alison Waters. Her most recent meeting with Waters was at the 2014 Commonwealth Games quarter-finals where she bowed out in four games.

However, Dipika refused to go down without a fight this time. She started with a bang, leading Waters 9-6. But the experienced Englishwoman came storming back and squeaked out the opening game 11-9.

Since then, it was a topsy-turvy battle between the Indian and the English with each taking their turns to have an advantage. It was Dipika who first levelled the contest by winning the second game 11-5 over a Waters who received treatment on her back.

The fourth seed then surged into the lead again by clinching the third game 11-3, but a determined Dipika put up a stunning display of precision to grab the fourth game 11-1.

The fifth game was pretty even for the first half with Waters enjoying a slim lead of 5-4. But it was Pallikal after that as she came back to take the match in 50 minutes.

An elated Dipika Pallikal revealed after the match that she did not expect to get this far – “I’m really happy. Coming here from two tournaments where I didn’t play my best, to beat two top players to make the quarterfinals is great—I’ll have to do some laundry now, I didn’t expect to get this far!”

The India No. 1 also thanked renowned Egyptian coach, Amir Wagih with whom she had been training and the results are surely showing now!

“I’ve been working with Amir [Wagih] since I was 13, and he just kept telling me to think it was the first point of the first game. I’ve come close to beating some of the top players, but never quite made it before, so I’m delighted,” Pallikal said.

The Chennai squash ace will next meet the sixth-ranked Omneya Abdel Kawy who ended the run of Joshna Chinappa. Their quarter-final match is scheduled on Thursday.

Campaign ends for Joshna Chinappa

India No. 2 Joshna Chinappa had been enjoying a rich vein of form in recent times but on Tuesday, it was a hurdle too high for her. Chinappa, who had upset World No. 10 Annie Au in the first round, started showing her trademark fighting spirit in the opening game against Abdel Kawy as she saved five game balls from 5-10 down. However, the World No. 6 still managed to squeeze out the first game 12-10.

From then on, the Egyptian pretty much had the upper hand for the next two games as Joshna found it too tough to inflict any damage. Kawy took the last two games 11-6 and 11-5 and ended the contest in 29 minutes that put paid to all hopes of an all-Indian clash in the last-eight.