Shanghai: When two stars meet there has to a sparkle in the contest. This is what the organisers of the just concluded senior national championship in New Delhi had looked forward too seeing the healthy rivalry of Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal Karthik, the top two women players of the country.
However citing an ankle strain and keen to give that area a rest before the tough international season ahead, Dipika withdrew and a squash feast was denied to the aficionados of the sport in the capital. But what was missed in New Delhi was served soonafter in distant Shanghai in the China Open, a PSA World tour major event in the final round of the qualifying phase!
Good friends but great rivals the two found themselves face to face on Wednesday, thanks to the draw, and expectedly the meeting must have produced a rousing contest if the scoreline was anything to suggest. The match went five games and like in the Mumbai National in 2016 where Dipika outdid Joshna here too she started off well, grabbing the first game but Joshna bounced back to take the next two. Dipika made it four games all to queer the pitch but finally it was Joshna who won 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8. At the last meeting of the two too in the Asian Championship in Chennai in April, it was Joshna who had prevailed, coming back from a game down in a scintillating five-game contest to pick not only her maiden Asian title but also become the first Indian to win the senior Asian title.
Joshna, fresh from her success in the national now moves into the main draw as a qualifier where the world’s top 10 ranked players are in the fray. Saurav Ghosal is the other Indian who has moved into the men’s main draw, via the qualifying phase.
