India’s Vikram Malhotra, who had only last week won a PSA Challenger event in Canada, added one more to his name, emerging as the champion at the Texas Open, a PSA challenger level event in Houston on Sunday. He beat Daniel Mekbeb of Czeck Republic over five games 11-6, 2-11, 5-11, 15-13, 11-1. This is Vikram’s 8th PSA title overall in his career thus far.
The fourth seeded Indian, who received a first-round bye, got past three players enroute to the final and dropped just one games. His second round victim was Syed Hamzad Bukhari of Pakistan, followed by Reuben Phillips of England in the quarterfinals and another Pakistani Shahjahan Khan, the 8th seed in the semi-final 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6.
Incidentally the top seed in this event was India’s Ramit Tandon but he had to retire from his match in the quarter final against Shahjahan Khan, Vikram’s sem-final victim.
Elsewhere, in Philadelphia, Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa have moved into round three in the prestigious US Open 2018, a PSA world tour platinum event. However Dipika Pallikal Karthik fell in the second round, losing to Egyptian third seed Nour El Tayeb in stright games 11-6, 11-5, 11-9.
Where Saurav and Joshna began their campaign from round two, Dipika had an earlier start. She was stretched to five games by Canadian Danielle Letourneau before winning 11-6, 11-13, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4. Joshna, who is seeded 16, also had a tough match in her opener against Julianne Courtice of England. Joshna won 6-11, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10,11-3. In comparison Saurav had a smoother ride in the men’s section. The Indian beat Tom Richards of England 11-4, 11-8, 11-3 to meet the top seed Mohamed Elshorbagy of Egypt next.
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