HCL PSA Challenger Tour: Sunayna Kuruvilla keeps India's hopes alive

Sunayna Kuruvilla will play the third seed Menna Hamed of Egypt, who knocked out the top seed, 17-year-old Farida Mohamed in three straight games.

Salma Youssef (left) of Egypt who was beaten by Sunayna Kuruvilla in the semifinals of the HCL PSA Challenger squash tournament at the Jaypee Greens Sports Complex in Greater Noida on Monday.

Fourth seed Sunayna Kuruvilla kept the Indian hopes alive in the women’s event as she beat the second seed Sala Youssef of Egypt 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6 in the semifinals of the HCL PSA Challenger squash tournament at the Jaypee Green Sports Complex on Monday. The 20-year-old from Kochi will play the third seed Menna Hamed of Egypt, who knocked out the top seed, 17-year-old Farida Mohamed in three straight games. READ: Inter-State athletics c’ship: All eyes on Archana, Arpinder

With the women’s champion assured of a berth in the World Championship, there will be a lot at stake apart from the ranking points for the two players. In the $12,000 men’s event, Vikram Malhotra subdued the talented Velavan Senthilkumar in four games from the junior ranks,. In the final, the top seeded Vikram will play the second seed Aditya Jagtap who edged out Yash Fadte in three well-contested games.  

The results (semifinals):Men: Aditya Jagtap bt Yash Fadte 11-9, 11-9, 11-9; Vikram Malhotra bt Velavan Senthilkumar 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, 11-3. Women: Menna Hamed (Egy) bt Farida Mohamed 11-7, 11-6, 11-6; Sunayna Kuruvilla bt Salma Youssef (Egy) 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6.