Veer Chotrani's Thrilling Run Ends in Hamburg Open Quarterfinals

Indian squash player Veer Chotrani's impressive run at the Hamburg Open ended in the quarterfinals with a five-game defeat to French fourth seed Baptiste Masotti. Earlier, Chotrani had scored a major straight-games upset over the eighth seed to reach the last eight. His compatriots, Abhay Singh and Ramit Tandon, were eliminated in the second round of the PSA Bronze event. In the women's draw, India's Joshna Chinappa was also defeated in her match.

Key Points: Chotrani Falls to Masotti in Hamburg Open Quarterfinal Thriller

  • Chotrani lost 3-2 in a 69-minute thriller
  • He earlier upset 8th seed Kandra in straight games
  • Abhay Singh and Ramit Tandon exited in second round
  • Joshna Chinappa beaten in women's draw
2 min read

Chotrani goes down to world No 19 Masotti in Hamburg thriller

Indian squash star Veer Chotrani pushed world No. 19 Baptiste Masotti to five games in a PSA Bronze quarterfinal. Recap of Indian results in Hamburg.

"I know Abhay has been in good form recently... I knew it was going to be a tough match today. - Sam Todd"

Hamburg, April 18

Indian world No 47 Veer Chotrani went down to French fourth seed Baptiste Masotti in a five-game thriller in the men's quarterfinals of the Hamburg Open, a PSA Bronze-level event, in Hamburg on Friday.

Chotrani recovered twice to take the contest down to the wire before the French world No 19 clinched the decider for a 12-10, 9-11, 14-12, 9-11, 11-6 victory in 69 minutes.

Earlier, Chotrani pulled off a major upset by defeating the 8th seed and home favourite Kandra in straight games. The Indian dominated the match from start to finish, requiring just 30 minutes to secure an 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 victory and advance to the lats-eight

However, his compatriots, fifth seed Abhay Singh, seventh seed Ramit Tandon bowed out in the second round.

Singh lost to Sam Todd (England) 9-11, 11-7, 4-11, 2-11, Tandon fell to Balazs Farkas (Hungary) 10-12, 11-4, 5-11, 9-11.

Todd, will make their debut in the quarter finals of a bronze-level event, Todd, who's scooped two copper-level titles already this season, produced some of his best squash to see off Singh - who recently landed the JSW Indian Open crown - to earn himself a quarter-final showdown with the tournament's No.3 seed Fares Dessouky on Friday.

"I know Abhay has been in good form recently as he had some decent results in El Gouna and won the Indian Open. I knew it was going to be a tough match today and I've trained with him at Pontefract, which is my club, a few times so I know his game quite well as we've hit together a few times," said Todd.

In the women's section, former women's world No 10 Joshna Chinappa was beaten by eighth seed Joelle King, the Kiwi winning 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4.

Meanwhile, Spain's Marta Dominguez will also feature in the last eight of a Bronze event for the first time after overcoming No.6 seed Malliff.

Dominguez, who had never beaten the Englishwoman on Tour prior to their round two clash, ended a run of six straight defeats to advance to her maiden Bronze quarter-final by triumphing 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
A bit disappointed with the results for Abhay and Ramit, especially after Abhay's great run at the Indian Open. But these ups and downs are part of the sport. They'll bounce back stronger!
V
Vikram M
The win against the 8th seed Kandra in straight games was brilliant! Shows Chotrani has the game to beat top players. Just needs that final push to close out these thrillers. More consistency and he'll be top 20 soon.
S
Sarah B
Respectful criticism: Our players need to work on their mental game in deciders. Losing the fifth 11-6 after such a close fight suggests fitness or focus dipped. Sports psychologists could be a game-changer for the squad.
R
Rohit P
Tough day for Indian squash overall, with Joshna also losing. But kudos to Veer for his performance. At least he gave us a thrilling match to follow! Hope he gets more support and sponsorships now.
M
Michael C
Interesting to read Todd's comments about training with Abhay Singh. The global squash circuit is quite connected. Our players gaining that international exposure at clubs abroad is crucial for development.

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