In the final of the men's $10,000 PSA Tour event, local hero Saurav Ghosal successfully defended his title when he beat fellow Indian Ritwik Bhattacharya in four games.
Pallikal, the 16-year-old fifth seed from Chennai who was celebrating her maiden appearance in a WISPA Tour final, struggled at the outset with her higher-seeded opponent's drop and drive game. The brave youngster squandered an 8-0 lead in the second game before going down to Au, the 19-year-old fourth seed, 10-8.
But Dipika reversed her fortunes in the third game, fighting back from 2-7 down to reach game ball at 8-7 in just one hand! But, in the final twist, Au clinched the game to take the match - and her second Tour title - 9-3, 10-8, 10-8 after 44 minutes.
"It was a remarkable achievement, however, by Dipika to get to the final - and overall a great event for Indian Squash," said event spokesman Cyrus Poncha.
Women's Final:
[4] Annie Au (HKG) bt [5] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 9-3, 10-8, 10-8 (44m)
