Ritwik, Joshna reach quarterfinals with contrasting wins

Doha, Dec 11 (UNI) Ritwik Bhattacharya began with a bang but Joshna Chinappa fumbled and faltered before edging out her opponent to book their quarterfinal berths in the squash competition of the 15th Asian Games here today.

In a lop-sided affair, Ritwik took just 16 minutes to decimate his Sri Lankan opponent Eranga Nuwan Alwis 3-0, dropping just four points in the entire match.

The Indian outran the islander in the first set which he clinched 9-1 in seven minutes.

The Lankan tried to put up some resistance but proved no match to Ritwik's guiles and conceded the set 2-9 in just five minutes.

The Bangalore-based player showed some mercy on his rival by ending his agony early as he sealed the issue with a 9-1 finish in the final set to enter the last eight.

SAF Games gold medallist Joshna has been practising in Egypt before the Asian Games but the lithe Chennai player didn't look convincing against Korean Eun Chan Ahn, who is ranked 63 rungs lower.

World number 42 Joshna had to toil for about 45 minutes to get the better of her gritty rival 3-1.

The first set gane inklings of things to come and after a see-saw battle, Joshna clinched it 10-8 to take early lead.

The Korean, however, came back strongly to upstage the Indian 9-4 in the second to draw parity and put up a defiant show in the third set as well before going down 7-9.

Jolted out of complacence, Joshna was in her elements in the fourth set and started dominating the T and mixing her shots to tame her rival 9-4 to seal the match.

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