Winning Asian title at home is special for Joshna Chinappa

Joshna Chinappa

Joshna Chinappa with the Asian Championship trophy on Sunday

India's highest-ranked squash player Joshna Chinappa has rated the maiden Asian Championship title as the biggest achievement of her long singles career.

The Asian crown is a big shot in the arm for the 30-year-old ahead of the Commonwealth and Asian Games next year. Joshna, who had won the historic Commonwealth Games doubles gold with Dipika Pallikal in Glasgow three years ago, edged her longtime teammate in another tense battle in Chennai on Sunday.

"I'm first a singles player so this surely is one of the highlights of my career. The Commonwealth doubles gold was huge for both of us and now to win the Asian crown at home is extremely special," Joshna said.

Joshna, who turned professional way back in 2003, has achieved multiple firsts in the past 12 months with the triumph in Chennai marking the end of a memorable season.

She broke into the Top-10 of the world rankings in July last year and days before becoming the Asian champion, she reached the World Championship quarter-finals in Egypt, becoming the second Indian to do so after Pallikal.

"Though I have been playing better than ever the last two years, I feel I can bring out more out of my game. It is time I start beating the top-five players regularly, perform in big events," said Joshna, who is currently ranked 14th.

It was an all-Indian women's final in the absence of Malaysian Nicol David, who has won the trophy a record nine times.