Indian outsider Harinder Pal Sandhu recovered from 2/1 down in today’s quarter-finals of the Buler Challenge Cup to upset second seed Jan Koukal to become the only unseeded player in the men’s semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 event at the Hong Kong Squash Centre in Hong Kong China.
Playing in his first PSA Tour event of the year, the 22-year-old from Chennai beat 12-times Czech national champion Koukal 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9 in 76 minutes.
Sandhu will now face Hong Kong’s No4 seed Dick Lau, who held off the challenge of Egyptian qualifier Zahed Mohamed 13-11, 11-8, 12-10.
There will also be local interest in the other semi-final where third seed Max Lee lines up against favourite Aaron Frankcomb.
In his second-longest recorded match this year, Australian Frankcomb battled for 91 minutes to beat Leo Au 11-6, 12-14, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1 – and deny the crowd an all-Hong Kong semi-final in the top half of the draw.
Top seed Annie Au kept home hopes alive in the women’s WISPA World Tour 12 event when she defeated India’s fifth seed Joshna Chinappa 12-10, 14-12, 11-8.
But another Indian now stands in Au’s way to the final: Third seed Dipika Pallikal, from Chennai, was stretched for four games before overcoming Australian Melody Francis 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2.
But an Australian is sure to make the final after Lisa Camilleri and Donna Urquhart prevailed in the other quarters.
Queenslander Camilleri, the fourth seed, removed Malaysia’s Siti Munirah Jusoh 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 - while Urquhart, the second seed from New South Wales, beat unseeded Hong Kong opponent Carmen Lee 11-7, 11-4, 11-2.
RESULTS: Buler Challenge Cup, Hong Kong China
Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt Leo Au (HKG) 11-6, 12-14, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1 (91m)
[3] Max Lee (HKG) bt [Q] Yuta Fukui (JPN) 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 (30m)
[4] Dick Lau (HKG) bt [Q] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) 13-11, 11-8, 12-10 (49m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [2] Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9 (76m)
Women’s quarter-finals:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [5] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 12-10, 14-12, 11-8 (42m)
[3] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [8] Melody Francis (AUS) 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2 (36m)
[4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt [7] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (23m)
[2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Carmen Lee (HKG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-2 (21m)
Men’s semi-final line-up:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) v [3] Max Lee (HKG)
Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) v [4] Dick Lau (HKG)
Women’s semi-final line-up:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) v [3] Dipika Pallikal (IND)
[2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) v [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS)