Pallikal Provides Home Indian Circuit Success by Howard Harding October 20, 2014
- Indian squash star Dipika Pallikal fulfilled her top billing in the
Women's JSW WSA Indian Circuit No3 when she beat Egyptian Nouran El
Torky in the final of the WSA Tour 5 event at the National Sports Club
of India in Mumbai to become the first home winner of the women's
series.
Pallikal, the world
No12 from Chennai, took her place in the 13th WSA World Tour final of
her career after beating South African Cheyna Tucker in the semi-finals
in straight games.
With the first two
Indian Circuit titles already to her credit, 21-year-old sixth seed El
Torky continued her 'giant-killing' run at the NSCI by upsetting No2
seed Laura Pomportes in the other semi to reach her third successive
Indian final - and her fifth in a row on the WSA Tour!
But Pallikal was too
strong for the world No64 from Alexandria, winning 14-12, 12-10, 11-7
in 46 minutes to secure the eighth Tour title of her career.
"It was a good match,"
said Pallikal (pictured above in action with El Torky), winner of
India's first ever Commonwealth Games squash gold medal with Joshana
Chinappa at Glasgow 2014 in August. "Me and Nouran go back to our
junior days at every British Juniors. They were tough matches.
"It's nice to come up with a win for the home crowd. My main aim was to support this tournament. I'm just glad to be a part.
"I hope we get more
tournaments like this in India, because it's really phenomenal to play
in front of a home crowd. It's hopefully the start of great things to
come in Indian squash."
RESULTS: Women's JSW WSA Indian Circuit No3, Mumbai, India
