CHENNAI – Host India’s campaign ended in the World University squash championship on Friday when it lost 0-2 to Malaysia in the opening round (virtually the quarterfinal) of the mixed- team event.
Having made its debut in the Championship this year India, seeded 5/8 could not sign off on a memorable note with mssrs Ravi Dixit and Aparajitha Balamurukan falling to Sanjay Singh Chal nd Zulhijjah Azan respectively in the first two singles. That gave Malaysia, seeded 3/4 the winning margin and a place in the semi-finals.
Also moving into the last four were top seed Egypt (which beat Pakistan), South Africa and Great Britain. Proceedings in the Championship ended on an early note so as to provide the players and officials an opportunity to spend some time at a tourist spot.
The semi-finals ( Egypt v Malaysia and Great Britain v South Africa) resume on Saturday.
RESULTS: 1st round (quarterfinal)
EGYPT[1] bt PAKISTAN[5/8] 2-0 ( men singles 1: Mazen Sabri bt Saqib Yousaf 11-5 11-8 11-7; women’s singles: Farah Abdelmeguid bt Sammer Anjum 11-2 11-4 11-7; MS2: Zahed Salem – Ullah Rizwan Gul – not held)
INDIA[5/8] lost to MALAYSIA[3/4] 0-2 (MS1: Ravi Dixit lost to Sanjay Singh Chal 6-11 8-11 11-6 7-11; WS: Aparajitha Balamurugan lost to Zulhijjah Azan 7-11 9-11 7-11 ; MS2: Maninder Pal Singh Sandhu – Addeen Bahtiar –not held);
SOUTH AFRICA[3/4] bt CANADA[5/8] 2-0 (MS1: Andrew Martin bt Cameron James Seth 10-12 12-10 11-2 11-9 ; WS: Alexandra Fuller bt Alex Kelly Younger 14-12 6-11 11-8 11-6; MS2: Ruan Oliver – James Richard Van Staveren – not held;
FRANCE[5/8] lost to GREAT BRITAIN[2] 0-2 (MS1: Antoine Cami Petrucci lost to Edward David Charlton 5-11 11-13 8-11; WS: Chloe Mesic lost to Nada Mohamed Elkalaawy 9-11 11-13 11-9 5-11; MS2: Marc Vaez Olivera – Joel Patrick Makin –not held)
(Source: S. R. Suryanarayan, WUC Squash Media Relations)