Joshna Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal exit Macau Open

Chinnappa lost to Brit Alison Waters

The Indian challenge came to an end at the $50k Macau Open as Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa both crashed out in the first round of the event held at the Centro de Bowling in Macau on Thursday. While Pallkal lost 9-11, 6-11, 6-11 to the top seed and World No. 5 Laura Massaro, Chinappa went down fighting to the fourth-ranked Alison Waters 8-11, 11-8, 2-11, 4-11.

For the World No. 17 Dipika Pallikal, this was her first competitive match after her wedding to cricketer Dinesh Karthik in August. Dipika had been out of action since June and said she was satisfied with how her game was in her first match since the sabbatical.

“My game was OK. I haven’t played in the last four months so it’s a good game to start off again. I leave for America soon and I look at the positives I gained from this match,” said the 23-year-old whose next tournament is the NetSuite Open, beginning September 23.

As for the 29-year-old Joshna Chinappa, her latest performance is another affirmation that she is getting closer to the game’s best. Joshna had played two qualifying rounds to book her berth in the Macau Open main draw and on her way, she had also upset the World No. 20 Salma Hany Ibrahim. With already two international titles in the last two months – the Victorian Open and the NSCI Open – it is needless to say that the 24th ranked Chinappa is most certainly moving in the right direction.