England's World No. 1 James Willstrop defeated his training partner and India's top player Saurav Ghosal 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-5 in the pre-quarterfinals of the Canary Wharf Classic, a PSA World Tour International 50 squash event being held in London.
The Indian lost but earned praise for his phenomenal fightback. The two players practise together at Pontefract and are neighbours in Leeds, but there was no room for friendship or sentiment on court.
Willstrop won in 84 minutes. Willstrop praised his 25-year-old opponent, saying: “If you step off the pace by the tiniest amount, players like Saurav will jump on the ball and punish you. He is so fast around the court. His retrieving was so amazing.”
Ghosal is yet to beat Willstrop in a PSA tournament.
