Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal entered the final of the Chennai Open Squash mixed doubles championships with a 9-11, 11-6, 11-8 win over Alan Clyne and Frania Gillen of Scotland on Wednesday.
The final game, especially keenly contested, saw an outbreak of questionable calls as the home pair raced to 4-1, before the Scots evened things out at 7-7. Ghosal, ranked 29 in the world, then revved on the motor, targeting Gillen's corner relentlessly to snatch a hard-fought win.
The Indian twosome will meet the top seeds — Egypt's Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda and former World No. 1 Rachael Grinham of Australia — in the final on Thursday. The Reda-Grinham duo rallied to beat England's Chris Simpson and Jenny Duncalf 9-11, 11-6, 11-5 in their semifinal.
Grinham and Duncalf then got together to end India's marquee act in the penultimate round of the women's doubles, beating Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal 11-9, 11-9 in 35 minutes. The winning pair will take on Aussies Donna Urquhart and Kasey Brown for top honours on Thursday.
Indian interest also ended in the men's doubles. Ghosal and Harinder Pal Sandhu were two points away from a place in the final before the favoured Jonathan Kemp and Stephen Coppinger got the measure of them.
The Indian pair won the first game 11-5, and things were flush on 9-9 in the second when the reversal began. The visiting pair raised its play, winning the second game 11-10, and held its nerve to take the third 11-9 after almost squandering a 7-2 advantage. The match lasted 59 minutes.
Kemp and Coppinger will meet Scotsmen Harry Leitch and Alan Clyne in the men's doubles final.
The results: Doubles: Semifinals:Men's: Jonathan Kemp (Eng) & Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Saurav Ghosal & Harinder Pal Sandhu 5-11, 11-10, 11-9; Harry Leitch & Alan Clyne (Sco) bt Chris Small & Lyall Paterson (Sco) 11-7, 11-3.
Women's: Jenny Duncalf (Eng) & Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Dipika Pallikal & Joshna Chinappa (Ind) 11-9, 11-9; Donna Urquhart & Kasey Brown (Aus) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZ) & Samantha Teran (Mex) 11-6, 11-7.
Mixed: Saurav Ghosal & Dipika Pallikal (Ind) bt Alan Clyne & Frania Gillen (Sco) 9-11, 11-6, 11-7; Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) & Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Chris Simpson & Jenny Duncalf (Eng) 11-9, 6-11, 5-11.
