India’s top ranked squash player Saurav Ghosal crashed out of the USD 145,000 Cathay Pacific Gale Well Hong Kong Open after he was humbled in the first round by Ramy Ashour of Egypt.
In the women’s event, Dipika Pallikal went down fighting to another Egyptian Raneem El Weleily in the USD 74,000 WISPA Gold squash event.
World number 32 Ghosal lost 6-11, 4-11, 9-11 in straight games to fourth seed Ramy Ashour in 27 minutes in the first round of the PSA World Tour Super Series Platinum event.
Ghosal had beaten Nicolas Mueller of Switzerland 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 in the qualifiers.
In the women’s first round main draw, Pallikal lost 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 7-11 to 16th seeded Weleily in 33 minutes.
In the qualifying stage, Pallikal, ranked 54th in the world, had become the youngest and the lowest ranked player to have secured a place in the main draw after an impressive straight games success.
The 18-year-old from Chennai ousted world’s 32 New Zealand’s Joelle King 14-12, 11-5, 11-5 in 40 minutes.
