Joshna bites the dust in Qatar Classic

Joshna Chinappa went down to Egyptian fifth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Classic in Doha on Wednesday. The India lost the first set 11-8, but came back strongly to win the next two 11-9 and 11-7.

Joshna lost to Egyptian Omneya Abdel Kawy.

Joshna Chinappa went down to Egyptian fifth seed Omneya Abdel Kawy in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Classic in Doha on Wednesday. The India lost the first set 11-8, but came back strongly to win the next two 11-9 and 11-7.

The Egyptian, however, grabbed an early lead (7-3) in the fourth game. A point away from the losing the game (5-10), Joshna, buoyed by a vociferous Indain fan base, played some great squash to win five points in a row, to tie the score at 10 all. She, however, failed to hold on to the momentum and lost 12-10. The Indian had an erratic last game, losing 11-6 and handing the match to Omneya in fifty minutes.

“Joshna is a dangerous player. She played very well today. And on the court, it’s whoever attacks well that wins. To be honest, I was very uncomfortable for the whole match, I never relaxed,” Omneya said.

The Egyptian will now face Laura Massaro of England in the semi-final. Massaro defeated Nouran Gohar from Egypt 11-8, 11-8. 8-11,11-6.