Dipika Pallikal salvaged personal pride but second seeds India bowed out of the reckoning in the women's World junior squash team championship after a 1-2 defeat against sixth seeds Hong Kong in Chennai on Friday.
Pallikal gave the team a good start, beating Tsz Ling Liu 11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6 but Anwesha Reddy and Surbhi
Mishra lost the subsequent matches which brought curtains on India's campaign.
Tsz Wing Tong beat Anwesha Reddy 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 and Carmel Lee beat Surbhi Mishra 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9.
Hong Kong will battle it out with top seeds Egypt, who beat fifth seed USA 2-1, for the title on Saturday.
Heba El Torky put Egypt ahead, winning the first of the three singles in four games against Olivia Blatchford but its
newly-crowned World champion, 13-year old Nour El Shebini was drubbed by Amanda Sobhy.
Later, Nour El Tayeb held her nerve to beat Julie Cerullo and help Egypt make the final.
Results (semi-finals):
1-Egypt beat 5-USA 2-1 (Heba El Torky beat Olivia Blatchford 11-5, 11-6, 13-15, 11-7; Nour El Sherbini lost to Amanda Sobhy 6-11, 6-11, 8-11; Nour El Tayeb beat Julie Cerullo 11-6, 11-5, 11-4).
6-Hong Kong China beat 2-India 2-1 (Tsz Ling Liu lost to Dipika Pallikal 4-11, 12-10, 8-11, 6-11; Tsz Wing Tong beat Anwesha Reddy 12-10, 11-8, 11-6; Carmel Lee beat Surbhi Mishra 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9).
Play-offs:
For 5-8 positions: England beat Malaysia 2-0; Canada beat New Zealand 2-0.
For 9-12 positions: France beat Australia 2-1; Germany beat South Africa 2-1.
For 13-16 positions: The Netherlands beat Spain 3-0; Denmark beat Sweden 2-1.