19-Sep-08, Finals:
 
Ritwik Bhattacharya bt Azlan Iskandar          12-10, 11-9, 11-1
Joshna Chinappa bt Dipika Pallikal                12-10, 11-9, 11-9

Ritwik scores biggest win of his career beating Iskandar ...
Joshna too good for Dipika
 
Pradeep Vijayakar reports

Ritwik Bhattacharya scored the biggest win of his career when he beat the top seed and world No. 11 Azlan Iskandar of Malaysia in straight games to clinch the Men's Open title in the 33rd Bombay Gymkhana-HSBC Maharashtra State Open Squash Championships, co-sponsored by Sapat and Westside, at the Bombay Gymkhana on Friday.

The two know their games well. In normal course one would have said Ritiwik had home advantage. But he said he did not. "Coming from playing abroad in air conditioned courts, I felt as dehydrated as anyone of the foreigners.

The key he said was winning the crucial points in the opening game. Ritwik endured a strong challenge in the first two games of the best-of-five contest before cruising to a 12-10, 11-9, 11-1 victory in a championship round that lasted just 33 minutes.

Warming up for the forthcoming World Open, Bhattacharya experienced a tough opening game with Iskandar running the Indian close.

Bhattacharya, ranked No. 58 in the world, faced a similar challenge in the second game before he rested on a crucial 2-0 cushion against a player as dangerous as Iskandar.

But the Malaysian's challenge fizzled out in the third game and he later admitted he was exhausted and struggled in the Mumbai humidity.

"Though I was forced into a tight opening game, I played well." Winning the first game was crucial against a player of Iskandar's calibre. "I had to push hard because he hit a lot more. I set up a fast pace which probably tired him out and in the end proved decisive," admitted Bhattacharya who beat Iskandar for the first time in his career.

Iskandar said: "Too bad for Ritwik this win didn't come in a PSA event. Ritwik played well. I was struggling in the humid conditions. I tried to keep pace in the first two games but by the third, I tired out. But Ritwik's victory is good for Indian squash," said a graceful Iskandar.


Women's top seed and India No. 1 Joshna Chinappa overcame second seed Dipika Pallikal - who turns 17 on Sunday - 12-10, 11-9, 11-9 to snatch the women's crown following a tight and absorbing championship round. Dipika, as in the semi final against Englishwoman Mandy Kennedy was prone to errors which had allowed Mandy to win the opening game.

Joshna's overheads were top class which is why Dipika could not make any headway. Joshna also made fewer mistakes. Dipika will have to cut down on errors if she has to beat Joshna.

Earlier in the day, Pallikal overcame No. 3 seed Mandy Kennedy of England in the semi-finals.

Chinappa, who heads for the Pepsi Enshde tournament in Amsterdam next week, said, "Dipika played well, she is a much improved player. But I was trying out different things. I was trying to move around more in front. I also tried to be more consistent."

"Though I was trailing 2-6 in the second game, I was in control of the match. I had to raise my game. Yes, thanks to the support of the Mittal Champions Trust, I am much fitter, stronger and confident with my advanced training," added Chinappa, who will also feature in the World Open in Manchester soon after the Amsterdam tournament.


Saumya Karki helped herself to a triple crown following victories in the girls' under-19, under-17 and under-15 finals.

India's top junior Mahesh Mangaonkar of Mumbai bagged a double after clinching the boys' under-17 and under-15 titles.

RESULTS (All finals):
Men's Open:
Ritwik Bhattacharya bt Azlan Iskandar (Malaysia) 12-10, 11-9, 11-1
3rd-4th play-off: Muhd Asyraf Azan bt Vikas Jangra  7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 4-11, 12-10

Women: Joshna Chinappa bt Dipika Pallikal 12-10, 11-9, 11-9
SF: Dipika Pallikal bt Mandy Kennedy (England) 9-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7

Boys U-19: Vikram Malhotra bt Laxman Joshi 9-11, 11-4, 11-2, 11-5
Boys U-17: Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Karm Kumar 11-9, 7-11, 3-11, 11-5, 11-9
Boys U-15: Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Rahil Fazelbhoy 11-5, 11-8, 12-14, 11-5
Boys U-13: Raghav Mehrotra bt Arjun Kochhar 7-11, 11-2, 11-5, 12-10
Boys U-11: Yohan Surti bt Kshitij Prasad 3-11, 11-1, 11-6, 11-8

U-9: Chitanya Shah bt Aryan Parekh 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4

Girls U-19: Saumya Karki bt Surbhi Mishra 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8
Girls U-17: Saumya Karki bt Shri Khatri 11-5, 14-12, 11-9
Girls U-15: Saumya Karki bt Shria Khatri 11-3, 11-7, 11-9
Girls U-13: Adya Advani bt Gayatri Raheja 11-6, 11-5, 11-3
Girls U-11: Adya Advani bt Juhi Kalgutkar 11-5, 12-10, 11-7

Professionals: Rohit More bt Temo Gomez 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-3

FRIDAY:

12.30 p.m. onwards FINALS (33rd Bombay Gymkhana-HSBC
Maharashtra State Open Squash Championships, at the Bombay Gymkhana)

RESULTS:

Men's Open (SF):
Ritwik Bhattacharya bt Vikas Jangra 11-7, 11-3, 11-2;
Mohd. Azlan Iskandar (Malaysia) bt Muhd Asyraf Azan (Malaysia) 11-7, 11-2, 11-6.

Women (SF):
Joshna Chinappa bt Surbhi Mishra 11-5, 11-3, 11-9.

Boys U-19 (SF):
Vikram Malhotra bt Naveen Jangra 11-4, 11-7, 11-9;
Laxman Joshi bt Gunraj Singh 11-6, 11-5, 4-11, 11-2.

Boys U-17 (SF):
Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Ashray Ohri 11-6, 13-11, 11-6;
Karm Kumar bt Samir Mistrya 11-6, 11-1, 11-6.

Boys U-15 (SF):
Rahil Fazelbhoy bt Ishan Advani 11-3, 11-9, 11-7;
Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Aditya Advani 11-7, 11-8, 11-2.

Boys U-13 (SF):
Raghav Mehrotra bt Yohan Pandole 11-6, 11-4, 11-6; A.
Kochhar bt A. Shah 11-8, 11-4, 11-6.

Boys U-11 (SF):
Yohan Surti bt Vedant Rao 11-2, 11-4, 11-6; K. Prasad
bt R. Agarwal 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9.

Girls U-19 (SF):
Surbhi Mishra bt Shaheen Madraswala 11-4, 11-5, 11-5;
Saumya Karki bt Shria Khatri 11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4.

Girls U-17 (SF):
Shri Khatri bt k. Agarwal 11-3, 11-1, 11-6; Saumya
Karki bt A. Kulkarni 11-3, 11-1, 11-1.

Girls U-13 (SF):
A. Advani bt A. Mehra 11-2, 11-3, 11-4; G. Raheja bt
A. Nambiar 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9.

Professionals (SF):
Rohit More bt Sanjay Pawar 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9;
Temo Gomez bt Sachin Jadhav 11-8, 12-10, 11-3.