Joshna storms into main draw, Dipika goes down fighting

Hyderabad, July 4 (UNI) National champion Joshna Chinnappa today became the second Indian to make it to the main draw of a major WISPA event, while compatriot and Asian Junior Under-15 Champion Dipika Pallikal came close to creating history in the 80,000 dollar Qatar Airways Challenge Squash Tournament here today.

Joshna would be the lone Indian in the main draw as four other Indians fell by the wayside in the qualifying rounds.

Joshna, the World Junior Runner-up and the youngest ever Indian to win the Asian Junior and the SAF Games titles, booked a berth in the main draw of the third biggest WISPA event after her sobbing opponent Louise Crome of New Zealand conceded the tie due to indisposition.

The India number one thus emulated Misha Grewal of Delhi, who was the first Indian to make the cut in the big league of squash when she qualified at the Manchester open in 1995.

Playing an attacking brand of squash, Joshna won 16 points in a row bagging the first two games 9-1, 9-0, when Crome conceded citing indisposition.

From 2-1 in the first game, Joshna cut loose to win points at will to gain ascendancy over her rival before the thirteen-minute contest came to a premature end.

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