WSF World Cup : Hosts India down top seeds HK

Day Six  The Final : Hosts India beat top seeds for the win

Hosts India were crowned SDAT Squash World Cup champions after routing top seeds Hong Kong, China, on home court in Express Avenue Mall, Chennai.

In the opening match 39-year-old Chennai native Joshna Chinappa went up against 32-year-old Lee Ka Yi, and despite Lee’s higher ranking it was Chinappa who gave India the lead.

Up next men’s top string Abhay Singh took on Alex Lau and dominated as he doubled India’s lead in just 19 minutes.

HK hopes rested on Tomato Ho who needed a  big victory over 17-year-old Anahat Singh to keep the match alive, but to the crowd’s delight Singh dominated to take a three-game win and the title.

“It feels great playing here in Chennai,” sai Chinappa. “I am  so thankful that I can still be a part of the India national team, it has always been my biggest motivation to keep playing and keep training to play for India.”

 

Day Five : Semi-Finals

[1] Hong Kong 2-2 [4] Japan  (HK win 8-7 on games)

Henry Leung 2-3 Tomotaka Endo  7-5, 4-7, 7-2, 5-7, 5-7 (42m)
Tomato Ho 0-2 Satomi Watanabe 4-7, 4-7, 5-7 (23m)
Alex Lau 3-0 Ryunosukue Tsukue  7-2, 7-3, 7-5 (33m)
Lee Ka Yi 3-1 Akari Midorikawa  7-3, 4-7, 7-3, 7-2 (23m)

[2] India 3-0 Egypt

Velavan Senthilkumar 3-0 Ibrahim Elkabbani  7-1, 7-3, 7-6 (26m)
Anahat Singh 3-2 Nour Heikal   6-7, 7-5, 7-3, 3-7, 7-3 (35m)
Abhay Singh 3-1 Adam Hawal   7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (55m)
Joshna Chinappa v Nardine Garas    match withdrawn

India down defending champions Egypt as Hong Kong hit back to reach final

Hosts India and top seeds Hong Kong will compete for the SDAT Squash World Cup title after India blew away defending champions Egypt while Hong Kong were saved by a valiant rescue from Alex Lau and Ka Yi Lee as the pre-tournament favourites recovered from 0-2 down against Japan in Express Avenue Mall, Chennai.

Full Draws & Results

Day Four : Quarter-Finals

10.30  Hong Kong 3-0 Switzerland
13.00  Japan 2-2 Malaysia
15.30  Egypt 3-0 Australia
18.00  India 3-0 South Africa

The first day of playoff matches in Chennai saw three of the top seeds – Hong Kong, Japan and India – win through to the semi-finals, along with defending champions Egypt.

Count-Back drama as Japan upset rivals Malaysia to reach semi-finals

Japan pipped rivals Malaysia to a spot in the semi-finals of the SDAT Squash World Cup by the finest of margins as they joined hosts India, defending champions Egypt and top seeds Hong Kong in the last four in Chennai.

In a blockbuster tie that swung one way and the next, a single game proved the difference in the mixed team event as the fourth seeds edged through by a single game on Games Won count-back after the tie finished 2-2 in matches.

Japan will face Hong Kong in their semi-final, after the top seeds proved far too strong for debutants Switzerland, getting off court in a total of 50 minutes in a 3-0 win. The other semi-final promises to be another classic, with hosts India set to take on defending champions Egypt after beating South Africa.

Hong Kong 3-0 Switzerland
Lee Ka Yi 3-0 Stella Kaufmann  7-1, 7-4, 7-4 (15m)
Alex Lau 3-0 Louai Hafez 3 7-3, 7-6, 7-5 (20m)
Tomato Ho 3-0 Céline Walser  7-2, 7-3, 7-4 (15m)
Henry Leung v Robin Gadola    match withdrawn

Japan 2-2 Malaysia
Akari Midorikawa 2-3 Aifa Azman  1-7, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5, 4-7 (30m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue 3-2 Ameeshenraj Chandaran  7-3, 7-6, 4-7, 2-7, 7-4 (40m)
Satomi Watanabe 3-0 Aira Azman  7-2, 7-4, 7-4 (15m)
Tomotaka Endo 1-3 Mohd Syafiq Kamal  6-7, 4-7, 7-3, 3-7 (29m)

Egypt 3-0 Australia
Nardine Garas 3-0 Madison Lyon  7-3, 7-0, 7-2 (10m)
Adam Hawal 3-0 Joseph White  7-4, 7-4, 7-3 (16m)
Nour Heikal 3-0 Jessica van der Walt  7-4, 7-1, 7-3 (13m)
Ibrahim Elkabbani v Dylan Molinaro  match withdrawn

India 3-0 South Africa
Joshna Chinappa 3-0 Teagan Russell  7-4, 7-4, 7-2 (13m)
Abhay Singh 3-0 Dewald Van Niekerk  7-1, 7-6, 7-1 (41m)
Anahat Singh 3-0 Hayley Ward  7-3, 7-3, 7-4 (15m)
Velavan Senthilkumar v Damian Groenewald  match withdrawn

Day Three : Quarter-Finalists decided in Chennai

Day Two : Australia, Brazil and South Africa fight back

Australia, Brazil and South Africa mounted impressive comebacks on day two of the SDAT Squash World Cup at Chennai’s Express Avenue Mall, India, to set up an exciting conclusion to the Pools Stage tomorrow.

Australia and Brazil hit back against Poland and Switzerland  after losing their opening matches as walkovers, with Australia recording a 3-1 win and Brazil a 2-2 draw. South Africa, meanwhile, recovered from going a match down to defeat Korea.

Elsewhere there were crushing wins for defending champions Egypt and 2023 runners up Malaysia over Iran and Poland.

Pool A : South Africa 3-1 Republic of Korea
Teagan Russell 1-3 Song Chaewon  2-7, 4-7, 7-5, 0-7 (20m)
Dewald Van Niekerk 3-0 Ryu Jeongmin 7-2, 7-5, 7-5 (26m)
Hayley Ward 3-0 Eum Hwayeong 7-4, 7-6, 7-4 (18m)
Damian Groenewald 3-0 Ko Youngjo  7-3, 7-4, 7-1 (21m)

Pool B : Brazil 2-2 Switzerland
Bruna Marchesi Petrillo w/o Stella Kaufmann
Diego Gobbi 3-1 Louai Hafez  2-7, 7-2, 7-5, 7-4 (38m)
Laura Silva 0-3 Celine Walser  2-7, 5-7, 1-7 (13m)
Pedro Mometto 3-0 Robin Gadola 7-6, 7-3, 7-6 (26m)

Pool C : Australia 3-1 Poland
Madison Lyon 0-3 Sofia Zrazhevska (walkover)
Joseph White 3-0 Jan Samborski  7-4, 7-3, 7-4 (22m)
Jessica van der Walt 3-1 Karina Tyma  7-4, 4-7, 7-1, 7-5 (23m)
Dylan Molinaro 3-0 Kajetan Lipski  7-0, 7-6, 7-3 (18m)

Malaysia 4-0 Poland
Aifa Azman 3-0 Sofia Zrazhevska  7-4, 7-2, 7-1 (14m)
Ameeshenraj Chandaran 3-0 Jan Samborski  7-1, 7-5, 7-1 (22m)
Aira Azman 3-0 Karina Tyma  7-4, 7-5, 7-4 (18m)
Mohd Syafiq Kamal 3-0 Kajetan Lipski  7-5, 7-3, 7-2 (20m)

Pool D : Egypt 4-0 Islamic Republic of Iran
Nardine Garas 3-0 Fatemeh Falahati  7-4, 7-1, 7-1 (12m)
Adam Hawal 3-0 Sepehr Etemadpour  7-2, 7-2, 7-0 (13m)
Nour Heikal 3-0 Fereshteh Eghtedari  7-6, 7-4, 7-2 (17m)
Ibrahim Elkabbani 3-0 Pouya Shafiefard  7-1, 7-4, 7-3 (24m)

Day One : India, Japan and Hong Kong win on opening day in Chennai

Tournament hosts India made a convincing start to their SDAT World Cup campaign after overcoming debutants Switzerland in Chennai’s Express Avenue Mall.

Joining India in recording day one victories were Japan – who overcame a spirited showing from debutants Iran – and top seeds Hong Kong who got the better of Asian rivals Korea.

India, bronze medallists in 2023, have a squad combining youth and experience with Chennai locals Joshna Chinappa, 39, Abhay Singh, 27 and Velavan Senthilkumar, 27, joined by Delhi’s teen star Anahat Singh, 17, and were in dominant form against Switzerland.

In the day’s opening tie, top seeds Hong Kong lived up to their billing with a confident victory against  Korea, while nn possibly the most entertaining tie of the day, Japan got the better of World Cup first timers Iran.

Draws & Results

Day One Results :

Pool A : [1] Hong Kong 4-0 f Korea
Henry Leung 3-1 Ko Youngjo  7-3, 3-7, 7-6, 7-2 (26m)
Tomato Ho 3-0 Eum Hwayeong  7-5, 7-6, 7-5 (17m)
Alex Lau 3-0 Ryu Jeongmin  7-2, 7-5, 7-2 (18m)
Lee Ka Yi 3-1 Song Chaewon  7-3 5-7 7-5 7-2 (21m)

Pool B : [2] India 4-0 Switzerland
Velavan Senthilkumar 3-0 Robin Gadola  7-6, 7-6, 7-5 (27m)
Anahat Singh 3-0 Céline Walser  7-1, 7-4, 7-2 (13m)
Abhay Singh 3-0 Louai Hafez  7-0, 7-5, 7-3 (33m)
Joshna Chinappa 3-1 Stella Kaufmann  7-1, 5-7, 7-2, 7-0 (18m)

Pool D : Japan 4-0 Iran
Tomotaka Endo 3-0 Pouya Shafiefard  7-5, 7-1, 7-0 (16m)
Satomi Watanabe 3-2 Fereshteh Eghtedari  7-4, 3-7, 3-7, 7-4, 7-1 (28m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue 3-0 Sepehr Etemadpour  7-2, 7-2, 7-0 (15m)
Akari Midorikawa 3-1 Fatemeh Falahati  4-7, 7-3, 7-3, 7-2 (19m)

Spectacular opening ceremony as SDAT Squash World Cup begins!

Tournament Format

The SDAT World Cup runs from 9th to 14th December in Chennai, India, with twelve teams from five continents aiming to win the mixed team event.

The competition, held at Chennai’s Express Avenue Mall with a few matches at the Indian Squash Academy, is split into four pools of three, with the top two in each progressing to the quarter-finals.

Each team consists of two men and two women, each playing best of five to seven points, sudden-death at 6-all. Wins for the #1 male and female ties are with two points, with one point for the #2 matches.

Draws & Results