CHENNAI, 13 Jun: Second-seeded India began their campaign in the SDAT WSF Squash World Cup here on Tuesday with a 4-0 win over Hong Kong-China in a Pool B match.
Top-seeded Egypt had earlier in the day brushed aside the challenge of Australia, winning 4-0.
In the India-Hong Kong encounter, Abhay Singh got the host team off to a winning start, beating Chung Yat Long 7-2, 7-3, 7-6 while the experienced Joshna Chinappa increased the advantage with a straight-forward victory over Heylie Fung, beating her opponent 7-1, 7-5, 7-6 in just 20 minutes.
Speaking after his match, Abhay Singh said, ”I was a bit nervous at the start. It’s a big crowd, you’re playing at home and you want to start well! I think I did pretty well and I’m happy with that!” Saurav Ghosal made it 3-0 but after facing some resistance from To Yu Ling the Indian star dropped the opening game 5-7 before rallying to take the next three 7-2, 7-5, 7-1.
In the fourth and final match, Tanvi Khanna bounced back strongly after losing the first two games to beat Tse Yee Lam Toby 5-7, 6-7, 7-1, 7-4, 7-3 in 26 minutes to seal an emphatic 4-0 margin.
India faces South Africa on Wednesday in Pool B, with the No.7 seeds going down 3-1 to No.3 seeds Japan in the opening tie of the day.
In the day’s second tie, top seeds Egypt showed their class as they shut out Australia.
Karim El Hammamy bounced back from a troubled start in the opening match, with the world No.42 taken by surprise by the intensity of Australia’s Nicolas Calvert, who played the fast conditions better in the opener to take the first game 7-5.
El Hammamy, however, recovered quickly, dominating the rest of the contest with a pair of 7-3 wins, which came on either side of a brutal bagel, the first of the World Cup.
Results: Pool B: Japan (3rd seed) beat South Africa (7) 3-1 (Tomotaka Endo beat Jean-Pierre Brits 7-4, 1-7, 2-7, 7-3, 7-5; Satomi Watanabe beat Lizelle Muller 7-2, 7-1, 7-2; Ryunosuke Tsukue beat Dewald van Niekerk 4-7, 7-5, 7-5, 7-3; Akari Midorikawa lost to Hayley Ward 7-5 5-7 1-7 2-7).
India (2) beat Hong Kong, China 4-0 (Abhay Singh beat Chung Yat Long 7-2, 7-3, 7-6; Joshna Chinappa beat Heylie Fung 7-1, 7-5, 7-5; Saurav Ghosal beat To Yu Ling 5-7, 7-2, 7-5, 7-1; Tanvi Khanna beat Tse Yee Lam Toby 3-2: 5-7, 6-7, 7-1, 7-4, 7-3).
Pool A: Egypt (1) beat Australia (5) 4-0 (Karim El Hammamy beat Nicholas Calvert 5-7, 7-3, 7-0, 7-3; Fayrouz Aboelkheir beat Jessica Turnbull 5-7, 7-4, 7-4, 7-4; Aly Abou Eleinen beat Joseph White 3-0: 7-1, 7-6, 7-2; Kenzy Ayman beat Alexandra Haydon 7-5, 7-3, 7-4).
Malaysia (4) beat Colombia (8) 3-1 (Sai Hung Ong beat Alfonso Marroquin 7-2, 7-3, 7-4; Aira Azman beat Laura Tovar 5-7, 7-0, 7-3, 7-1; Darren Pragasam beat Felipe Tovar 7-2, 7-2, 7-2; Xin Ying Yee lost to Catalina Pelaez 6-7, 6-7, 7-2, 5-7). (PTI)