India’s Joshna Chinappa (right) lost to world No. 6 Omneya Abdel Kawy of Egypt  in the quarter-finals yesterday at the Qatar Classic.

By Satya Rath/Doha


Fifty minutes of edge-of-the-seat action, five topsy-turvy games, some amazing rallies, several stunning winners and quite a few exasperating errors later, Joshna Chinappa slowly made her way out of the court, picked up her bag, and trudged her way out, all the while being applauded by the appreciative crowd--the Indian ambassador to Qatar, Sanjiv Arora, being one of them.
Her Qatar Classic dream run had finally ended, at the hands of world No. 6 Omneya Abdel Kawy of Egypt, in a closely contested five-game encounter in the quarter-finals yesterday.
“I couldn’t have asked for more. I never expected to come this far, as the best players of the world are all here. I beat the world No. 1 (Raneem El Welily of Egypt), and I lost to a top-10 player in a close match. It could have been a different story had I not made that one error at a crucial moment. But no regrets, this experience will hold me in good stead. I will come back stronger and better next year,” Chinappa said.
The crucial error she was talking about came in the fourth game. Chinappa, after losing the first 8-11, had rebounded strongly to take the next two 11-9, 11-7, and after saving five game-balls, had forced a tie-break in the fourth and penultimate game. At 10-10, in a moment of impatience in an otherwise composed performance, she banged the tin. Kawy got the lifeline she so badly needed and unleashed a backhand winner to take the game and level the scores 2-2.
The world No. 17 Indian perhaps lost it in the mind then and there. “I had to beat her otherwise I would have been in trouble! She had already beaten two Egyptians, and I surely could not have let her beat a third one. I had an advantage maybe because I beat her 3-0 at the US Open last month. But all credit to her, she played really well. Beating Raneem must have given a boost to her confidence, and I think after this tournament everyone will have to be very careful against her,” said the 30-year-old Kawy, who will meet dangerous Englishwoman Laura Massaro in the semi-finals today.
World No. 3 Massaro beat Egypt’s rising 18-year-old Nouran Gohar in a four-game shootout (11/8, 11/8, 8/11, 11/6). The 32-year-old, a former world champion, had far too much experience for her much younger opponent, and that had a big say in the outcome of the match. Barring the third game, where Massaro committed some unusual errors to allow the reigning world junior champion to extend the contest to a fourth, it was complete domination by the senior pro.
“I’m a bit disappointed with how I played in that third game. I think I came off my tactical plan a little bit and allowed her to play the way she wants, but otherwise I am quite happy with the way I played today. I feel good physically too which is a really big thing for me. So everything’s happening at the moment. I hope the momentum continues for two more days,” said Massaro.
The attractive Nour El Sharbini soon sprinted into the last-four line-up, making it two Egyptians in the semis. The world No. 8, who celebrated her 20th birthday three days back, took just 23 minutes to have her revenge on the higher-ranked Camille Serme of France. “I am so happy. She beat me the last two times, so I had to give it back,” gushed the Egyptian.
But she needs to raise her game a few notches higher if she harbours any hopes of making the final, as reigning Qatar Classic queen Nicol David would be the one opposite her in tonight’s semi-final.
The Malaysian squash legend was all class in her 23-minute decimation of Hong Kong’s Annie Hu, and has not dropped a single game in the championship so far.