The Indian pair of Joshua Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal Karthik stormed their way into the Women’s Doubles quarterfinals, in the ongoing WSF- World Doubles Squash Championship held in Manchester.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games Gold medalists pair topped their group B, by defeating Tesni Evans and Deon Saffery of Wales, 11-8, 11-7, in the Women’s Doubles category.
The second seeded pair will now face Group A runners-up Samantha Cornett and Nicole Todd of Canada in the Quarter – finals of the Championships.
In the Mixed Doubles Category also it was Indian duo paired up with fellow Indians Saurav Ghosal and Vikram Malhotra, that topped the group.
While the second seeded pair of Dipika-Saurav beat the Malaysian duo Mohammad Syafiq Jamal and Rachel Arnold , 11-7, 11-4, in straight games to begin their Group B outings, the sixth seeded Indian pair of Vikram-Joshna defeated Zac Miller and Amanda Landers-Murphy of New Zealand, 11-9, 11-9, to keep on the winning momentum.
In the Men’s Doubles, however, India’s chances look slim as the pair of Vikram Malhotra and Mahesh Mangaonkar succumbed to their second defeat in as many days to languish at the bottom of the group with one match to go.
Having already lost to the Scottish pair of Clyne and Lobban, 1-11, 6-11, just a day ago, they went down again after losing to Bennet and Schweertman of the Netharlands, 6-11, 6-11, to narrow down their chances of progressing to the next round.
Results Mens doubles: Group A: Vikram Malhotra and Mahesh Mangaonkar lost to Clyne and Lobban (Sco) 1-11, 6-11; lost to Bennet and Schweertman (Ned) 6-11, 6- 11. Women’s doubles: Group B: Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal Karthik bt Evans and Saffery (Wales) 11-8, 11-7. Mixed doubles: Group B: Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal Karthik bt Mohammed Syafiq Kamal and Rachel Arnold (Mal) 11-7, 11-4 ; Group C: Vikram Malhotra and Joshna Chinappa bt Zac Miller and Amanda Landers-Murphy (Nzl) 11-9, 11-9.