Dipika Pallikal and Surbhi Misra powered India past Canada and into the semi-finals in the 13th World Junior squash team championship in Chennai on Tursday.
Anwesha Reddy disappointed the home crowd, losing to Samantha Cornett 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 2-11, but Pallikal beat Laura Gemmel 11-8, 11-3, 11-9, and Surbhi beat Jennifer Pelletier 13-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6 to wrap the quarter-final match.
India and Canada were on equal terms at one-all and everything depended on Surbhi as she went in to play in the third singles match.
Surbhi, who has been in good nick, was stretched a bit, but she kept her cool in the fourth game to eventually win the match and bring cheer to the Indian camp.
Second seeded India will next take on sixth seeds Hong Kong, while top seeds and defending champions Egypt face fifth seeds the United States of America in their respective semi-finals on Friday evening.
Hong Kong thrashed New Zealand 3-0, while Egypt and USA had easy times against Malaysia and England in the other quarter-finals respectively.
The results (quarter-finals):
USA beat England 3-0 [Amanda Sobhy lost to Kimberley Hay 8-11, 10-12, 9-11; Oliva Blatchford beat Millie Tomlinson 11-4, 11-9, 11-5; Julie Cerullo beat Rachael Chadwick 11-6, 11-8, 11-3].
Hong Kong China beat New Zealand 3-0 [Tsz Wing Tong beat Amanda Landers Murphy 7-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-7; Tsz Ling Liu beat Lana Harrison 12-10, 11-9, 12-10; Ka Man Lee beat Emma Millar 11-7, 11-9].
Egypt beat Malaysia 3-0 (Nour El Sherbini beat Tan Yan Xin 9-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-1; Heba El Torky beat Low Wee Nee 11-5, 11-3, 11-5; Nour El Tayeb beat {3} Nessrine Ariffin 11-1, 11-9).
India beat Canada 2-1 (Anwesha Reddy lost to Samantha Cornett 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 2-11; Dipika Pallikal beat Laura Gemmel 11-8, 11-3, 11-9; Surbhi Misra beat Jennifer Pelletier 13-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6).
Play-offs for 9-16 positions: Australia beat Spain 3-0; France beat The Netherlands 3-0; South Africa beat Sweden 3-0; Germany beat Denmark 3-0.
