Gold Coast April 5 (IANS) It was a mixed day for India in the squash events as Joshna Chinappa Dipika Pallikal and Vikram Malhotra advanced to the round-of-16 while Saurav Ghoshal and Harinder Pal Sandhu suffered heartbreaking losses at the Commonwealth Games here on Thursday.
In women s singles category Chinappa outplayed Lynette Vai of Papua New Guinea 3-0 (11-3 11-7 11-2) in 13 minutes while Dipika Pallikal overpowered Charlotte Knaggs of Trinidad and Tobago 3-0.
In the men s singles category it was a cakewalk for Malhotra who outplayed Manda Chilambwe of Zambia 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-2) in the round-of-64 and he only took 13 minute to beat Xavier Koenig of Mauritius 3-0 (11-4 11-3 11-0).
Ghoshal who was beaten 2-3 by Jamaica s Chris Binne in the round-of-32 played brilliantly in the first two games but lost the next three to bow out of the meet.
In a marathon match which lasted more than an hour Ghoshal wrapped up the first two games comfortably 11-5 11-7. But lost narrowly in the next two (8-11 9-11).
In the decider it all boiled down to the last point and the Jamaican player held his nerves and went on to clinch the issue.
"I don t have words to explain my loss @GC2018 today! Shattered would be a good start. I m sorry to everyone who has supported me over the last year. I m sorry to India for not fulfilling their hopes from me. I m just sorry " Ghoshal tweeted after the match.
Sandhu who played handsomely in the round-of-64 match in which he outplayed Cameron Stafford of Cayman Islands 3-1 lost 0-3 (8-11 6-11 1-11) in the round-of-32 to Ivan Yuen Malaysia to end his run at the prestigious meet.
--IANS
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