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Joshna Chinappa, Veer Chotrani Triumph at Hamburg Squash Open

Indian squash players Joshna Chinappa and Veer Chotrani secured convincing straight-game victories to advance to the second round of the Hamburg Open. Their compatriots Velavan Senthilkumar and Tanvi Khanna, however, were eliminated in their opening matches. The tournament witnessed significant upsets, with wildcard Maya Weisher and Marek Panacek defeating higher-ranked opponents. Several other matches, including those involving Sam Todd and Millie Tomlinson, were tightly contested five-game affairs.

Key Points: Joshna Chinappa, Veer Chotrani Win at Hamburg Open

  • Joshna Chinappa wins in straight games
  • Veer Chotrani advances to second round
  • Upsets by Marek Panacek and Maya Weisher
  • Indian players Abhay Singh and Ramit Tandon get byes
2 min read

Squash: Joshna, Chotrani advance in Hamburg Open

Joshna Chinappa and Veer Chotrani advance in Hamburg Open squash. Results for Abhay Singh, Tanvi Khanna, and major upsets by Marek Panacek and Maya Weisher.

"It's been some time since I played this quality of squash... I was enjoying the moment on court - Marek Panacek"

Hamburg, April 16

Joshna Chinappa and Veer Chotrani advanced in the Hamburg Open squash, while compatriots Velavan Senthilkumar and Tanvi Khanna bowed out in the opening round.

Former women's world No. 10 Joshna eased past local challenger Saskia Beinhard 11-4, 11-5, 11-4, while men's world No. 47 Chotrani beat Spain's Ivan Perez 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 in the PSA Bronze-level event.

Men's fifth seed Abhay Singh, who moved up to a career-best world ranking of 22 this week, and Ramit Tandon, the seventh seed, received first-round byes.

V. Senthilkumar, meanwhile, lost to R Tsukue of Japan 4-11, 9-11, 12-14. Hannah Craig of Ireland defeated Tanvi Khanna 11-5, 11-7, 13-11.

In other action, world No.258 Marek Panacek produced the biggest shock by ousting World No. 52 Adrian Waller to reach the second round of the bronze-level event.

"It's been some time since I played this quality of squash in my opinion, I'm very happy with it and I'm looking forward to playing in the second round tomorrow. I was enjoying the moment on court and I played how I wanted," Panacek said.

The wildcard in the women's side of the draw, Maya Weisher also claimed a huge upset as the World No.153 downed World No.65 Hayley Ward 3-2.

The 19-year-old, who had never gone beyond the first round on home soil in two previous attempts, made it third time lucky against the South African to tee up a second round clash with No.4 seed Melissa Alves tomorrow.

Elsewhere, English pair Sam Todd and Patrick Rooney came through stern tests against Yassin Elshafei and David Bernet, respectively, with both winning 3-2.

In the women's draw, Millie Tomlinson ended hopes for Katerina Tycova in a five-game thriller, while Marie Stephan recovered from 2-1 down to overcome Keira Marshall 3-2.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Aman W
Tough luck for Velavan and Tanvi, but that's sport. Upsets happen, like that Panacek win shows. The important thing is they're getting this high-level match experience. On to the next one!
R
Rohit P
Abhay Singh at World No. 22! That's a massive achievement. We need to celebrate our athletes more. Squash doesn't get the attention it deserves compared to cricket, but these results are world-class.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the upsets from the lower-ranked players. It shows depth in the sport. Good luck to Joshna and Veer in the next rounds! The draws look competitive.
K
Karthik V
While the wins are great, I hope the federation is providing consistent support. Sometimes our athletes shine at one event and then we don't hear much. Need a sustained system to keep them at the top.
N
Nisha Z
Joshna is such an inspiration! Playing for so many years and still delivering. And Veer is part of the new generation. The future looks bright for Indian squash. Let's go! 🏆

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