Joshna goes down fighting in Tournament of Champions

Dogged by ill-health, Joshna Chinappa struggled and ultimately went down to qualifier Mariam Metwally of Egypt in the first round of the Tournament of Champions, a PSA world tour event late on Saturday.

Joshna, seeded sixteen, in a message to the National Coach Cyrus Poncha had said that she had developed throat infection and a touch of fever on the eve of the event and the resultant weakness affected her play. Even though she was good to give a fight and even take one game, the tempo could not be sustained. The Egyptian won 15-13, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9 in a match that lasted nearly an hour.

Dipika Pallikal Karthik is also in the fray, in the bottom half of the draw and yet to play her first match.