India's Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal clinched the Chennai Open squash mixed doubles championship with an 11-8, 11-4 victory over Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda and Rachael Grinham at the Indian Squash Academy here on Thursday.
England's Jonathan Kemp and South Africa's Stephen Coppinger took the men's doubles crown after a 5-11, 11-6, 11-8 win over Scots Harry Leitch and Alan Clyne, while top seeds Jenny Duncalf and Rachael Grinham scraped through 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 in the women's final against Aussies Donna Urquhart and Kasey Brown.
In the mixed, it was Saurav Ghosal all the way. The World No. 29 did the bulk of the work and came up with finishing drop shots each time a rally was inordinately extended.
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Finding their groove
The Indians trailed 4-6 in the first game before they found their groove, and ran away with five successive points. A forehand drop-shot, this time by Pallikal, gave them the game 11-8.
Grinham slipped a couple of times to start the second game as the home pair hurried to 4-0. Thereafter, the local favourites performed the mere formality of preserving the lead without a hitch, winning the second game 11-4 and with it the title.
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Ghosal, along with Harinder Pal Sandhu, also took third place in men's doubles with an emphatic win over Scotsmen Chris Small and Lyall Paterson. The Ghosal-Sandhu duo needed 40 minutes for its 11-5, 11-10 victory.
Third-place honours were also in store for Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal in the women's doubles, but only after they had slaved for three games against Jaclyn Hawkes of New Zealand and Samantha Teran of Mexico. India's two premier women players finally pulled through 11-7, 6-11, 11-6 in 38 minutes.
Alan Clyne and Frania Gillen finished with the bronze in mixed doubles, beating the English pair of Chris Simpson and Jenny Duncalf 11-8, 11-6 in 24 minutes.
The results: Doubles:Finals:Men's: Jonathan Kemp (Eng) & Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Harry Leitch & Alan Clyne (Sco) 5-11, 11-6, 11-8.
Women's: Jenny Duncalf (Eng) & Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Donna Urquhart & Kasey Brown (Aus) 8-11, 11-9, 11-8.
Mixed: Saurav Ghosal & Dipika Pallikal (Ind) bt Mohd. Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) & Rachael Grinham (Aus) 11-8, 11-4.
Third place:Men's: Saurav Ghosal & Harinder Pal Sandhu (Ind) bt Chris Small & Lyall Paterson (Sco) 11-5, 11-10.
Women's: Joshna Chinappa & Dipika Pallikal (Ind) bt Jaclyn Hawkes (NZ) & Samantha Teran (Mex) 11-7, 6-11, 11-6.
Mixed: Alan Clyne & Frania Gillen (Sco) bt Chris Simpson & Jenny Duncalf (Eng) 11-8, 11-6.