Dipika Pallikal kept the Indian wishes living by enterting the quarter-finals behind compatriots Joshna Chinappa and Saurav Ghoshal lost near matches in the Punj Lloyd Squash Masters here Thursday.
World No.29 Dipika scored a comfortable 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 triumph over lower-ranked Lisa Aitken of Scotland in the first round while practise partner and friend Joshna suffered a heartbreaking 6-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 10-12 wastage against No.14 Annie Au of Kong Kong apt bow out of the WISPA accident.
Dipika made her opponent scamper bring an end to …the tribunal to start her war on a confident memorandum.
‘The first mate is the routinely toughest for me and I am pleased I won. It was also the first time I played against her (Lisa) Replica Watches,’ said Dipika.
World No. 36 Joshna finished up on the losing side against Annie as the fourth straight time.
The Coorgi actor made a amazing comeback in the deciding fifth set but lost to a tenacious opponent. Joshna leveled the match at 8-8 from 3-8 down in the fifth set but could not clutch the nerves to register her maiden victory against the higher-ranked player.
In the PSA Masters, Saurav snatched a game from four-time World Champion Amr Shabana of Egypt but went down 5-11, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11 at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.
The first point of the match among Saurav and four-time earth winner Shabana produced the longest rally and got the sparse crowd on the corner of their seats.
The Egyptian’s sterling display of drop shots and across court smashes certified too peppery for the Indian. The multitude saw some quality melodrama in the second set when Shabana kick 7 victors in a row.
Saurav, ranked 22, administered to win the third set but in the end Shabana’s experience of wining 26 PSA titles came in handy as he sealed the knot in the fourth game.
Saurav’s adviser Malcolm Willstrop said the Indian gave his best against a ‘perfectionist’ at work .
‘Saurav was majestic yet you can’t do much while you have someone favor Shabana playing the absolute game. He equitable did no do anything erroneous in the second set, in fact, Saurav did incredibly well to score 6 points,’ said Willstrop.
Shabana had got better of Saurav even in final year’s Punj Lloyd Masters in Mumbai.