Chennai, Jan 22 (Inditop.com) An unfit Joshna Chinappa (India) yielded the initiative in the decider to go down fighting to third seed Laura Siddal of England 2-3 in the semi-final of the $8,000 WISPA Indian Challenger event sponsored by the central government in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.
In the men’s semi-finals, unseeded Amr Khaled Khalifa (Egypt) put paid to the aspirations of top seed Stephen Coppinger (South Africa) in straight games at 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 in 44 minutes, while fourth seed Abdullah al Mezayen of Kuwait came from behind to scalp second seeded Robbie Temple of England 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 in 46 minutes.
Playing at the centre court of the Indian Squash Academy here, top seed Joshna (ranked 34), despite suffering from severe cold and cough and mild temperature, managed to level the score but threw in the towel in the decider from being 4-5 and 5-8 to give away the fifth game and the match at 5-11. Siddal won at 10-12, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5 in 55 minutes.
Siddal will next meet second seed Joey Chan of Hong Kong in the final Saturday. Chan halted the run of giant-killer and qualifier Siyoli Waters of South Africa 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 11-4, 11-9 in 34 minutes in the other women’s semi-final Friday.
rounak