CWG 2022 Squash: Saurav Ghosal-Dipika Pallikal Karthik win Mixed Doubles bronze; New Zealand win gold


CWG 2022 Squash: Saurav Ghosal-Dipika Pallikal Karthik win Mixed Doubles bronze; New Zealand win gold

Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal Karthik added the second medal in India’s squash tally at the 2022 Commonwealth Games by beating defending champions Donna Lobban and Cameron Pilley of Australia 2-0 in the bronze medal match.

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The Indians, runners-up at Gold Coast four years ago, started the match on an attacking note and raced to a 10-3 lead in the first set. The Australians however fought back five game points to make it 8-10 before the Indian team could finally win 11-8.

The second set was close initially with both teams tied at 3-3 but the Indians came back with tremendous resolve to get a decisive 9-4 lead which they soon converted to 11-4.

Saurav and Dipika had lost to eventual gold medalists Paul Coll and Joelle King in the semi finals.

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Saurav had earlier won bronze in Men’s Singles while Dipika and her partner Joshna Chinappa had crashed out in the quarters of the Women’s Doubles event.

Saurav and Dipika had won the Doubles World Championships earlier this year and were the top seeds in Mixed Doubles at Birmingham.

Paul Coll and Joelle King win gold for New Zealand

Men’s Singles champion Paul Coll won another gold for New Zealand as he and partner Joelle King defeated England’s Alison Waters and Adrian Waller 11-3, 11-6.

Coll and King had won the bronze medal in this event four years ago but at Birmingham became only the second New Zealand team to win a CWG Mixed Doubles gold.

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King, who was the defending champion in Women’s Singles but ended up fourth, has a chance to add another gold as she and partner Amanda Landers-Murphy will defend their Women’s Doubles gold on the final day of competition at the Games. The Kiwis will take on the England team of Alison Waters and Women’s Singles bronze winner Sarah Jane Perry in the finals on Monday.

Two Malaysian teams Chan Yiwen-Ainaa Ampandi and Rachel Arnold-Aifa Azman will fight it out in the WD bronze medal match.

The All-English Men’s Doubles final will be contested between the teams of Daryl Selby-Adrian Waller and James Willstrop-Declan James, who were the silver and bronze medalists respectively at the 2018 Games. The bronze medal match will feature Ng Eain Yow-Ivan Yuen of Malaysia and Greg Lobban-Rory Stewart of Scotland.

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