Date:05/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070554701800.htm

Sport

Dipika Pallikal books semifinal berth

Special Correspondent

Ritwik Bhattacharya quells Harinderpal Singh’s challenge

— Photo: V. Ganesan

GOOD SHOW: India’s Dipika Pallikal surprised top seed Christina Mak of Hong Kong on Friday.

CHENNAI: India’s Dipika Pallikal played top quality squash to score a comfortable straight-game win over top seed Christina Mak of Hong Kong to book a semifinal berth in the WISPA event of the ICL-Chennai Open here on Friday.

The absolute control that the Indian had over her much higher ranked opponent may not be reflected in the 9-7, 9-5, 9-3 scoreline. Dipika displayed strong wrist-work and looks set on reaching a new high in the women’s world of squash.

Delicate drops

Ranked over 30 slots below Christina, who is placed 33, Dipika played like a champion. The firm forehand drives had both power and precision and the delicate drops were so deceptive that Christina was made to look leaden-footed. The onus was on the Hong Kong player but facing an opponent who rarely put a foot wrong, there was little she could do.

Dipika has not played Christina before but has seen her on the WISPA circuit.

“Perhaps she was a little slow on the returns,” she said, though the truth was far from that — the Indian was far too good today.

The only phase when it seemed Dipika would flatter to deceive came early in the first game when she slipped into unforced errors while leading 7-2, to allow Christina to make it seven-all.

But the challenge ended there.

Variety in her game

Pushing Christina all over the court and keeping the returns tight,

Dipika not only won points but also pleased many with the kind of variety she has brought into her game.

Dipika will next face third seed Orla Noom of the Netherlands, who came back from two games down to put it across Anwesha Reddy. The Indian once again allowed the advantage to slip.

In another quarterfinal match, second-seeded Joshna Chinappa scored a facile win over sixth seed Austrian Birgit Coufal. To say that Joshna was not really tested would be the right way to explain her win.

Joshna’s subtle change of pace and the deceptive switch of direction of the ball proved too much for Birgit to handle. True, the Austrian led briefly in the second game, but that was just an aberration.

Joshna breezed past to script a 9-2, 9-6, 9-2 win and earn a semifinal berth.

She will next meet Annie Au of Hong Kong, who provided a lesson or two to the young Indian Harita Omprakash while carving out an easy win.

In the PSA section, there was excitement when Harinderpal Singh raced to a handy lead against second seed Ritwik Bhattacharya.

But, the heroics did not extend like on Thursday with the experienced Ritwik knowing how to douse the enthusiasm of his young rival.

However, it must be mentioned that Harinderpal played without any inhibitions.

His opponent’s reputation did not affect his forthright approach.

On another court, Saurav Ghosal lived up to his billing as the top seed with a straight game win over Wales’ Rob Sutherland.

The results:

Quarterfinals: PSA: Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt Rob Sutherland (Wal) 11-8, 15-3, 11-5; Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) bt Dick Lau (Hkg) 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-3; Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) bt Max Lee (Hkg) 11-4, 11-3, 11-7; Ritwik Bhattacharya (Ind) bt Harinderpal Singh (Ind) 11-8, 13-11, 11-8.

WISPA: Dipika Pallikal (Ind) bt Christina Mak (Hkg) 9-7, 9-5, 9-3; Joshna Chinappa (Ind) bt Birgit Coufal (Aut) 9-2, 9-6, 9-2; Orla Noom (Ned) bt Anwesha Reddy (Ind) 3-9, 8-10, 9-5, 9-1, 9-2; Annie Au bt Harita Omprakash (Ind) 9-2, 9-0, 9-1.