Asian Doubles Squash: Abhay, Velavan cruise into final, set up Pakistan clash
Sarawak, June 20
India's title defence in the men's doubles remains firmly on track after top seeds Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar advanced to the final of the 3rd Asian Doubles Squash Championships on Saturday.
The defending champions produced two commanding performances to book their place in Sunday's summit clash, where they will face Pakistan's second-seeded duo of Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman.
Abhay and Velavan began the day by overcoming Japan's Naoki Hayashi and Ren Makino 11-3, 10-12, 11-5 in a hard-fought quarter-final before raising their level in the last four to defeat Malaysia's Sanjay Jeeva and Duncan Lee 11-7, 11-9.
Their run to the final follows an unbeaten group-stage campaign. The Indian pair topped Pool A after registering victories over South Korea's Oh Seojin and MinWoo Lee, followed by a convincing straight-games win against Hong Kong's Shing Fung Lam and Yat Long Chung.
India, however, endured disappointment in the women's and mixed doubles events as both medal hopes ended in the semi-finals.
Second seeds Joshna Chinappa and Rathika Seelan were unable to get past Malaysian top seeds Ainaa Amani and Yee Xin Ying, losing 9-11, 7-11 to settle for bronze. Earlier in the tournament, the Indian pair had dominated Pool B, winning all four of their league fixtures, including a straight-games victory over Singapore's Wai Lynn Au Yeong and Naisha Singh to finish at the top of the standings.
Joshna's campaign in the mixed doubles also ended at the penultimate stage. Partnering Velavan Senthilkumar, the second-seeded Indian combination pushed Malaysia's Ainaa Amani and Md Kamal before going down 8-11, 11-8, 8-11 in a closely contested semi-final. The result earned the pair a bronze medal, adding to their podium finish in the event last year.
The duo had entered the knockout rounds in impressive form after finishing unbeaten in Pool B, recording victories over Singapore and two South Korean pairings to emerge as group leaders.
India's other men's doubles pairing of Rahul Baitha and Suraj Chand failed to progress after suffering their second defeat in Pool B, losing to Pakistan's Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman, who will now stand between Abhay-Velavan and a successful title defence.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great to see Indian squash on the rise! But I feel bad for Joshna - she played so well in the group stages but couldn't convert in the semis. The mixed doubles bronze is still commendable, especially coming back after last year's success. She's a legend of Indian squash, no doubt.
The Indian men's doubles team looks really strong. Beating Malaysia 11-7, 11-9 in the semis is no joke - Sanjay and Duncan are tough opponents. Abhay-Velavan have good chemistry on court. The final against Pakistan will be electric! Who's watching the live stream tomorrow?
Disappointed that both women's and mixed doubles ended in bronze. But hey, it's still a medal! The Malaysian women's pair has been unbeatable lately - they're ranked higher for a reason. Joshna and Rathika gave it their best. And that mixed doubles match was so close - could have gone either way. Let's support the boys in the final! 💪
India-Pakistan finals are always special in any sport. The squash rivalry might not get as much attention as cricket, but it's equally intense. Abhay and Velavan have been consistent throughout - unbeaten in groups and now two solid knockout wins. They understand the pressure of representing the nation. Best of luck for the final!
Honestly, the women's doubles team had a perfect group stage - all wins, including against Singapore. The semi-final loss was a shock. I think they need to work on handling pressure in crunch moments. Still, proud of all our players. The depth in Indian squash is
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