Asian Games: Indians book berth in squash quarters

The Indian squash teams got off to a good start at the 16th Asian Games with both the men's and the women's team progressing to the quarter-finals of the squash singles event at the Town Gymnasium, in Guangzhou on Thursday.

The duo of Saurav Ghosal and Siddharth Suchde won their respective second round matches in the men's event, while Chennai girls Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa thrashed their rivals with identical 3-0 scorelines to make it to the last-eight stage of the individual events.

Doha Asian Games bronze medallist and world No 25 Ghosal made short work of Ammar Altemimi from Kuwait, registering a facile 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 victory over his lesser-known opponent in just 32 minutes.

In the second game, Siddharth Suchde came back from a game down to script a morale-boosting 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 win over Hong Kong's Wai Siu Lau in more than an hour long contest to move into the next round.

Suchde will now be preparing himself for a sterner test ahead as the USA-based Indian will be up against country-mate Ghosal in the quarters on Friday.

In the women's event, Pallikal, the 19-year-old world number 36, scored a comfortable 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 11-1) victory over Gu Jinyue of China in just 23 minutes, while national champion Joshana blew away Aribado Jemyca of Philippines 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 in 19 minutes.

Pallikal runs into world number one Malaysian Nicol David in the quarter-finals on Friday. Nicol, who is eyeing her third Asian Games title, drubbed Park Eun Ok of Korea 3-0 in another first round match.

Joshna, on the other hand, plays Malaysian Low Wee Wern, who thrashed Matsui Chinatsu of Japan 3-0 in her opening round match.