Multiple time national champion Joshna Chinappa was the lone Indian left in the singles draw of the Commonwealth Games squash tournament after she registered a thumping win over Tamika Saxby of Australia in the round of 16.
The 31-year-old, who had won the women’s doubles gold with Dipika Pallikal-Karthik in the last edition of the Games, was hardly troubled against the local girl and ran out 11-6, 11-8, 11-4 winner in 25 minutes.
Chinappa was just too quick for her opponent through out the encounter and displayed her whole array of strokes, particularly using the side wall boast and the drop to great effect.
She will now face the winner of the match between New Zealand’s Joelle King and Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam.
However, it was curtains for Pallikal-Karthik as she was no match for England’s Alison Waters, going down 11-3, 11-6, 11-2.
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In the men’s singles, India’s lone hope Vikram Malhotra fought hard but could not get the better of Englishman Nick Mathews.
Malhotra did manage to win the second game against the 37-year-old former world number one but could not sustain the performance and lost 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6 in 40 minutes.
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