India’s two top-ranked players — Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal — will meet in the women’s final of the Otters Club 73 senior National squash championship on Sunday.
On Saturday, Joshna beat Goa’s Akanksha Salunkhe 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 and Dipika drubbed Sachika Ingale 11-5, 11-1, 11-4 in the semifinals.
Joshna has won the title 14 times since her first win in 2000. Dipika won it in 2011.
Sandhu survivesHarinder Pal Singh Sandhu and Mahesh Mangaonkar competed hard in the first men’s semifinal that lasted for 95 minutes and at the end of a pulsating match, the 2014 winner Sandhu, trailing 1-2, held his nerves to down the local boy in a five-game thriller.
At 8-8 in the fifth game, Sandhu won two interference penalty points (stroke) and a tin shot played by his opponent to clinch the match.
Sandhu will lock horns with Saurav Ghosal for the title. The 10-time senior national winner Ghosal won a 65-minute match 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9 against USA-based Vikram Malhotra.
Maharashtra’s Aditya Maheshwari and Amitpal Kohli will play the over-35 final. Maheshwari defeated the top seed Chhattisgarh’s Saurabh Nayar in five games, while Kohli also won in five games against Gujarat’s Amit Chinai.
Delhi’s Paramjit Singh beat the six-time professional coach winner from Tamil Nadu Parthiban Ayyapan in straight games.
Paramjit, who won the title in 2014, will take on Tamil Nadu’s Deepak Mishra who accounted for Maharahstra’s Sanjay Pawar.
The results (semifinals):Men: Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu bt Mahesh Mangaokar 6-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8; Saurav Ghosal bt Vikram Malhotra 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9.
Over-35: Aditya Maheshwari bt Saurabh Nayar 13-15, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7; Amitpal Kohli bt Amit Chinai 8-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-1, 11-8.
Professional coach: Paramjit Singh bt Parthiban Ayyapan 11-3, 11-3, 11-6; Deepak Mishra bt Sanjay Pawar 11-2, 11-3, 11-5.
Women: Joshna Chinappa bt Akanksha Salunkhe 11-6, 11-2, 11-4; Dipika Pallikal bt Sachika Ingale 11-5, 11-1, 11-4.
