Setting the ball rolling: Abhay, left, beat again Chung’s problem to put India on the trail to victory.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
After being muted, the applause and cheers from the spectators and passers-by on the Express Avenue Mall turned louder as soon as India took on Hong Kong within the final tie of the night on the Squash World Cup on Tuesday.
The host, seeded two, turned on the warmth when it mattered to clean its opponent 4-0 in its first Group-B match on a day when all of the fancied groups — top-seeded Egypt, third seed Japan, and Malaysia, seeded fourth — gained with ease.
Abhay Singh, ranked 72nd and the proprietor of seven PSA titles, was up in opposition to the 23-year-old Chung Yat Long, who’s but to bag a title. After being routed within the first two video games, Chung confirmed resolve within the third by pushing the Indian to the corners. Tied 6-6, Abhay sealed it with a big forehand.
Joshna Chinappa put it throughout Fung Heylie in three straight video games within the second tie earlier than Saurav Ghosal, who gave a few jitters when he misplaced the primary sport to Andes Ling, roared again to win the remaining three.
Tanvi Khanna eked out a robust five-game win over Toby Tse within the fourth and ultimate match to assist India get off to a profitable start.
The outcomes: India bt Hong Kong 4-0 (Abhay Singh bt Chung Yat Long 7-2, 7-3, 7-6; Joshna Chinappa bt Fung Heylie 7-1, 7-5,7-2; Saurav Ghosal bt Andes Ling 5-7, 7-2, 7-5, 7-1; Tanvi Khanna vs Toby Tse 5-7, 6-7, 7-1, 7-4, 7-3).
Japan bt South Africa 3-1 (Tomotaka Endo bt Jean-Pierre Brits 7-4, 1-7, 2-7, 7-3, 7-5; Satomi Watanabe bt Lizelle Muller 7-2, 7-1, 7-2; Ryunosuke Tsukue bt Dewald Van Niekerk 4-7, 7-5, 7-5, 7-3; Akari Midorikawa misplaced to Hayley Ward 7-5, 5-7, 1-7, 2-7).
Egypt bt Australia 4-0 (Karim El Hammamy bt Nicholas Calvert 5-7, 7-3, 7-0, 7-3; Fayrouz Abouelkheir bt Jessica Turnbull 5-7, 7-4, 7-4, 7-4; Aly Abou El Einen bt Joseph White 7-1, 7-6, 7-2; Kenzy Ayman bt Alex Haydon 7-5, 7-3, 7-4).
Malaysia bt Colombia 3-1 (Ong Sai Hung bt Alfonso Marroquin 7-2, 7-3, 7-4; Aira Azman bt Laura Tovar 5-7, 7-0, 7-3, 7-1; Darren Pragasam bt Juan Felipe Tovar Perez 7-2, 7-2, 7-2; Xin Ying Yee misplaced to Catalina Pelaez 6-7, 6-7, 7-2, 5-7).
