The Hindu : Sport / Squash : Joshna in final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 26, 2005

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Sport - Squash

Joshna in final

CHENNAI: Joshna Chinappa is just one step way from the coveted World junior squash title. The Chennai collegian, currently Asia's No. 1 junior, came up with a sterling display on Monday to down the Egyptian Saira Badr in straight games 9-6, 9-6, 9-2 in the Championship semifinals at Herentals in Belgium.

Watched by the renowned coach Liz Irwing, who tuned her in the past one month that Joshna had spent in Amsterdam and her earlier coach Satinder Bajwa from Harvard, the Indian champion was thoroughly inspired.

From the information available here Joshna rarely put a wrong foot forward as she steadily and methodically took the fight out of the Egyptian who had in the quarterfinal upset the third seed Charlie de Rycke in five close games.

"The long rigorous training in Amsterdam and the regular sparring with some of the top women players in the world in the past few weeks have certainly done a world of good to Joshna," felt her father Anjan, who is in close touch with his daughter's progress in Herentals through his wife, who is accompanying Joshna.

Roaring form

Not having lost a game till the final, Joshna has been in roaring form and is confidently looking forward to facing the second seed Egyptian Raneem El Weleily in the title clash. The Egyptian came back from arrears to beat Tenille Swartz of South Africa in a cliff-hanger. Raneem won 4-9, 6-9, 9-5, 9-7, 9-4.

Joshna has met Raneem only once way back in 1998 in the British junior Open Under-13 semifinals where the Egyptian won. But much has happened since with Joshna winning the British Open Under-19 title early this year to signal her rising stature. — Special Correspondent

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