Dipika lifts Saurav, Joshna

Gold Coast,  April 13: India's Dipika Pallikal partnered Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa to advance to the final and semi-finals of the mixed doubles and women's doubles squash events respectively, even as the men's doubles combination of Vikram Malhotra and Ramit Tandon exited the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Friday.

In the mixed doubles, Dipika and Saurav stormed into the final after defeating New Zealand's Joelle King and Paul Coll 2-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-10) in a fantastic come-from-behind win in 50 minutes.

After losing the opening game narrowly in 15 minutes, the Indian pair bounced back well in the second that lasted for 13 minutes.

There was a neck-to-neck contest in the decider which saw both sides fighting for each point but eventually Dipika and Saurav kept their nerves to clinch the game and the match in 21 minutes.

The Indians will now take on Australia's Donna Urquhart and Cameron Pilley in the summit clash on Saturday.

In the women's doubles event, Dipika, who then joined Joshna, entered the semi-finals after the Indian duo registered a fantastic come-from-behind 2-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-9) win over Canada's Samantha Cornett and Nikki Todd at the Oxenford Studios here.

They will now face Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford from England in the gold medal match on Saturday. IANS

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com