Indian Challengers: Dipika enters final

Saurav Ghosal failed to build on a bright start and went down fighting against third seeded Mohamed El Shorbagy of Egypt in the semi-finals of the five-star PSA Indian Challenger at the Calcutta Racket Club courts on Friday.

The final will be an all-Egyptian affair as Tarek Momen produced a mini upset beating second seeded Cameron Pilley of Australia in the other semi-final.

Dipika Pallikal kept Indian hopes alive in WISPA event beating top seeded Sharon Wee of Malaysia. Dipika will face Emma Beddoes of England in the final on Saturday.

Dipika's doubles partner Joshna Chinappa was not so fortunate as she erred her way out of the tournament against second seeded Emma Beddoes of England.

Picking up from his brilliant quarter-final win against top seed and world number 13 Adrian Grant of England, Saurav dominated the first game producing winners against a tentative Shorbagy.

The Indian, enjoying his best international ranking at 29, looked to be at ease with his all court game and led the second game 7-4 against the 19-year-old Egyptian.

Things turned the other way thereafter as Shorbagy turned to his front game and successfully finished a series of returns to make it 7-10 and levelled the game 1-1.

Playing his first semi-final of a five-star event, Saurav started feeling the heat of Shorbagy's command on the front-court game, which came at its best in the third game that the latter won 11-3.

The Indian, who had won both his matches in the previous two meetings against the Egyptian, was back in contention in the fourth game managing an 8-4 lead at one stage.

But similar to happenings in the second game, Shorbagy showed why he is the world number 17 as he won five consecutive points to make it 9-8.

Saurav salvaged a match point and earned two game points as the game slipped into tie-breakers. But Shorbagy produced successive winners to win the game 14-12 and the match.