Sidelined with a foot injury since April, a fit-again Saurav Ghosal, the country’s leading squash player, will return to the PSA Tour at next month’s Australian Open.
The 24-year-old will feature in a warm=up invitational event in Cleethorpes in England on July 22-23 before hitting the glass-court for the tough Australian Open, a World Series Platinum tournament beginning in Canberra on August 8.
Ghosal, ranked 24th in the world, has been recuperating in Leeds, England from a freak injury he suffered in the semifinals of the Irish Open in April. The Indian ace conceded that his recuperation was “pretty frustrating.”
“I had two tears under my left foot (one in the plantar fascia and the other one in a tendon connecting one of the small toes). The first month was pretty frustrating, as I was on crutches and pretty much bed-ridden.
“After that, I did a lot of rehab work on strengthening my foot. After about 6-8 weeks, I started playing again and I’ve been building up slowly. I have had to stay patient through this time as rushing back could have been catastrophic. Now the injury seems to have heeled completely and I am back to full training,” Ghosal told PTI .
In the semifinal of the Irish Open against Egyptian Tarik Momen, the Kolkatan was within reach of winning the match when he twisted his ankle while trying to manufacture a shot.
An MRI scan had revealed the seriousness of the injury.
Bronze medallist in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, Ghosal exuded confidence and said he will be back to his best by the time the Australian Open starts.
“I have given myself enough time to prepare. The Australian Open maybe my first PSA event, but the warm-up event in Cleethorpes will help me sharpen up. I love playing the big events and I’m looking forward to the Australian Open,” he said.
