GLASGOW: India’s Dipika Pallikal-Joshna Chinappa delivered a shocker by beating fourth seeds Nicol David-Low Wee Wern in the women’s doubles squash competition at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
The Malaysian pair, who defeated Megan Craig-Kylie Lindsay of New Zealand 7-11, 11-10, 11-6 in the first match of Group D on Tuesday, lost 8-11, 5-11 in 17 minutes to the fifth-seeded Indian pair at the Scotstoun Sports Complex.
Nicol-Wee Wern however still qualified for the quarter-finals after beating Sri Lanka’s Mihilita Methsarani-Nadindhi Udangawa 11-2, 11-2, in their last group match to finish runners-up in the group.
Nicol, who won the individual title on Monday, admitted that Dipika-Joshna were tough opponents and very experienced “as they have been playing together for some time now”.
“Wee Wern and I only play together when I’m back in Malaysia,” said Nicol, who is based in Amsterdam while Wee Wern trains in Penang.
“Playing in the doubles is totally different from playing in the singles. I’m still trying to get into the groove of playing in the doubles.
“We can still qualify for the quarter-finals as group runners-up but we will have to beat the Sri Lankans first.
“Unfortunately, the defeat to the Indians means we will not get a favourable draw for the quarter-finals,” added Nicol, who won a silver and a bronze in the mixed doubles in the 2002 Manchester and 2010 New Delhi Games.
Meanwhile the second Malaysian pair of Rachel Arnold-Vanessa Raj failed to qualify for the last eight after they lost their second Group B losing to Lisa Camilleri-Donna Urquhart 11-4, 11-6.
The Malaysian men's doubles pair of Ivan Yuen-Valentino Bong Bon Jovi also advanced into the quarter-finals by winning their second group match against James Bentick-Kevin Hannaway of St. Vince and Grenadines 11-4, 11-6.
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