Indore, Nov 19 (IANS) Reigning men’s National Champion Velavan Senthilkumar beat Spanish sixth seed and world No. 33 Bernat Jaume 11-8, 12-10, 11-4 in the pre-quarterfinals of the Daly College SRFI Indian Open squash Championship, a PSA bronze event, in Indore on Wednesday. In the women’s section, three Indian players sealed berths in the last eight.

Ramit Tandon was the other Indian player to reach the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win against Samuel Osborne-Wylde of England, winning 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8.

India’s Veer Chotrani took the men’s top seed, Youssef Soliman of Egypt, to four games by winning the second game before the higher-ranked player won 11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6.

Top Indian Abhay Singh, seeded fifth, went down to Yannick Wilhelmi of Switzerland 11-3, 11-3, 11-7, while his compatriot Suraj Kumar Chand lost to fourth seed Sebastien Bonmalais of France 10-12, 11-4, 11-1, 11-7.

In the women’s section, top seed Anahat Singh, veteran Joshna Chinappa, and Tanvi Khanna booked quarterfinal berths.

Anahat defeated Pooja Arthi Raghu 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 in the pre-quarterfinal. The 39-year-old Joshna Chinappa, a former World Championship gold medallist in doubles, stunned the fourth-seeded Lauren Baltayan of France 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2. coming back to win after losing the first game. Tanvi Khanna got the better of compatriot Unnati Tripathi 11-1, 11-8, 11-4. Third seed Hannah Craig of Ireland defeated India’s Anika Dubey 11-4, 11-1, 8-11, 11-8.

Results (involving Indians) — Round of 16:

Men: 1-Youssef Soliman (Egy) bt Veer Chotrani 11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6; 4-Sebastien Bonmalais (Fra) bt Suraj Kumar Chand 10-12, 11-4, 11-1, 11-7; Yannick Wilhelmi (Sui) bt 5-Abhay Singh 11-3, 11-3, 11-7; Velavan Senthilkumar bt 6-Bernat Jaume (Esp) 11-8, 12-10, 11-4.

Women: Joshna Chinappa bt 4-Lauren Baltayan (Fra) 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2; 5-Nga Ching Cheng (HK) bt Rathika Suthanthira Seelan 11-3, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5; 3-Hannah Craig (Irl) bt Anika Dubey 11-4, 11-1, 8-11, 11-8; 6-Tanvi Khanna bt Unnati Tripathi 11-1, 11-8, 11-4; 1-Anahat Singh bt Pooja Arthi Raghu 11-2, 11-3, 11-2.

–IANS

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