India's top two squash players enjoyed contrasting fortunes at the Northern Open squash Championship on Monday with Sourav Ghosal making it to the men's semifinals while Ritwik Bhattacharya bit the dust.
Sourav got the better of compatriot Gaurav Nandrajog 9-3, 9-0, 6-9, 9-2 to advance to the last four but Ritwik, ranked 43rd in the world, lost a five-setter to M Shoaib Hassan 4-9, 6-9, 9-3, 9-7, 9-0 to bow out of the competition.
In the other quarterfinals, Bashit Ashfaq prevailed over M Shahnawaz 5-9, 9-1, 2-9, 9-0, 9-0, while Khayal Muhammad Khan breezed past Vikas Jangra 9-0, 9-7, 9-7.
In the professional semi-finals, B Balamurugan easily defeated Vijay Jangra 9-1, 9-3, 9-3 on the third day of the competition.
Today's other results:
Men's: Above 45 (Semi-finals): Vijay Jain (cancelled) Dr B.I.Singh (9-4, 9-5) Rahul Kumar beats Maqsood Ahmad (9-3, 10-8, 9-6)
Men's: Above 35 (Semi-finals): Abdul Raseed beats Colonel Raj (9-5, 9-0, 9-0), Hira Bahadur Thapa beats M Ali (9-4, 9-0, 2-9, 6-9, 10-8)
Girl's U-13 (Semi-finals): Sachika Ingale beats Vishruthi Sahni (9-1, 9-0, 9-7), Krishna Thapa beats Tanvi Khanna (9-0, 9-0, 9-0)
Girl's U-15 (Semi-finals): Harita Omprakash beats Sachika Ingale (9-0, 9-0, 9-0), Roshna Mehboob beats Anna Batool (2-9, 9-5, 9-7, 9-6)
Girl's U-17 (Quarter-finals): Urvashi Singh beats Tania Sibal (10-8, 9-2, 9-2), Aakriti Sehgal beats Anjani Singh (9-5, 9-5, 9-6) Zoya beats Akriti Sehgal (9-2, 9-1, 9-1)
Boy's U-13 (Semi-finals): Hamza Bukhari beats Arslan Bhatti (9-1, 9-0, 0-3), M Haroon Rasheed beats Karan Thahryamal (9-2, 9-2, 7-9, 9-0)
Boy's U-11 (Semi-finals): Ali Bukhari beats Sobhit Chowdhary (9-0, 9-0, 9-0), Amaad Farid beats Ran Vijay Singh (9-0, 9-0).
