JOSHNA CRUISES, TESNI STUNS DIPIKA
It was mixed fortunes for the top two Indian players at the Otters courts this evening.
Joshna Chinappa (IND) beat Liu Tsz Ling (HKG) 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-5 ( 31 minutes)
Joshna Chinappa was the dominant player in her quarter final vs Liu giving her opponent very little width to play with as she took the first 11-7, Liu came back smartly to level the match before Joshna moved it up a gear to take a spot in the semi final against Tesni Evans.
Tesni Evans ( WAL) beat Dipika Pallikal (IND) 15-13, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8 ( 64 minutes)
Dipika was involved in a slugfest for the second day in a row as she and Tesni matched each other fairly evenly throughout the contest.
Tesni looked assured and appeared to be constructing her points well, winning some crucial ones as the game had some traffic problems with both players not clearing the ball well enough. Dipika fought grittily to level the match and at 8-8 in the third it was plain that the delicate balance was about to shift. With Dipika allowing herself to be more affected with some calls, Tesni hung in to take a useful 2-1 lead.
The momentum was with Tesni as she hurriedly opened up a 5-1 lead in the fourth. It was soon 10-4, when Dipika responded with four consistent points in a row to reach 8-10. That was as far as she could take that comeback as Tesni finished it to take a hard fought and well deserved victory. The crowd was denied an All Indian semi. Joshana plays Tesni in a match that promises much.
