HCL SRFI Indian Tour: Unseeded Malak Kamal knocks out Sunayna Kuruvilla in quarter-final clash

Chennai: Unseeded Malak Kamal of Egypt defeated top seed Sunayna Kuruvilla in a five-game thriller in the quarter-final of the women’s event in the second HCL SRFI Indian Tour Chennai Leg 1 at the Indian Squash Academy on Wednesday. Kamal prevailed over the Chennai player in a 42-minute encounter which saw fortunes fluctuate before the Egyptian sneaked through. The Egyptian took a close first game 13-11 and stamped her authority in the second to go 2-0 up before Kuruvilla hit back to take the next two games. Kamal held her nerve to win the decider 11-8 to send the world no 69 packing. The men’s top seed Mahesh Mangaonkar moved into the semifinals without much trouble, getting the better of Mazen Gamal of Egypt, the fifth seed, in straight sets. Abhay Singh joined Indian compatriot Mangaonkar in the last four, with a five-game win over Yahya Elnaswasny, the seventh seed from Egypt. Results: Quarter-finals: Women: Rana Ismail (Egypt) beat Sachika Balvani (India-X4) 11-9, 11-4, 12-10; Tanvi Khanna (India-X3) beat Aparajitha Balamurukan (India-X6) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6; Hana Moataz (Egypt-X2) beat Sanika Choudhari (India-X8) 11-3, 12-10, 11-3; Malak Kamal (Egypt) beat Sunayna Kuruvilla (India-X1) 13-11, 11-4, 9-11, 15-17, 11-8. Men: Abhay Singh (India) beat Yahya Elnawasany (Egypt-X7) 11-6, 11-2, 6-11, 7-11, 11-7; Karim El Hammamy (Egypt-X3) beat Moustafa El Sirty (Egypt-X6) 15-13, 11-4, 7-11, 13-11; Todd Harrity (USA-X2) beat Aly Hussein (Egypt) 11-9, 11-8, 12-10; Mahesh Mangaonkar (India-X1) beat Mazen Gamal (Egypt-X5) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8.