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India No. 1 Dipika Pallikal fought hard but ultimately came up short against the World No. 1 Raneem El Welily in the first round of the Carol Weymuller Open in New York on Friday evening. Raneem edged past Pallikal 11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 11-5 for a place in the quarter-finals.
El Welily had a 9-0 head-to-head record v Pallikal
The Egyptian was a tough match-up for the 19th ranked Pallikal and she held a 9-0 head-to-head record against the Indian. Dipika, who had recently returned to the Tour after her wedding, looked rusty and error-prone in the first two games. On the other hand, El Welily, who had ousted Nicol David from the World No. 1 spot just a few weeks back, was soaring in confidence. She grabbed the first game 11-6.
The second game was closer and the India No. 1 even held a slender lead at 6-5. But errors crept into her game and she went down 7-11.
However, Dipika turned the tables in the third game. She came out with some fiery aggression which caught Raneem off-guard. The unseeded Indian claimed the third game 11-5. The fourth too went her way as she kept attacking the top-ranked player who lacked the usual consistency with her shots. Dipika clinched the fourth game 11-7 and levelled the contest.
But it was the deciding game where Raneem finally found her range and her lost confidence. Dipika did not help her cause as she peppered a few unforced errors at crucial moments. The top seed thus lifted her game and completed the victory.
Pallikal’s next tournament is the prestigious US Open which begins on October 8. She starts against a qualifier.
Joshna Chinappa will fight for a semi-final berth
Thus with Dipika’s exit, Joshna Chinappa remains the last Indian standing at the 2015 Carol Weymuller Open. The 20th ranked Chinappa, who won two qualifying rounds, produced an incredible display to upset the seventh seed Emma Beddoes 3-2 in the first round. Her quarter-final opponent is fellow qualifier Salma Hany of Egypt who stunned the World No. 3 Laura Massaro in the first round.
All quarter-final matches are scheduled on Saturday.
