Cruises past him on Day One of the PSA Masters
Cruises past World No 15 on Day One of the PSA Masters'Indiau00a0 loves Australia' screamed a spectator during Saurav Ghosal's opening match against World No 15 Cameron Pilley in the USD 155,000 Punj Lloyd PSA Squash Masters at the Bombay Gymkhana Thunderdome on Saturday.
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On the ball! India's Saurav Ghosal (right) returns to World No 15 Cameron Pilley of Australia on Day One of the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters at Bombay Gymkhana on Saturday. Ghosal won 11-8, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8. PICs/SHADAB KHAN |
Of course, he would be shouting that as the Indian No 1 was making easy meat of his much fancied opponent. The fan too probably remembered that a second-string Australian side humiliated India in the recent ODI series. Saurav thus exacted some revenge with his 11-8, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8 win.
"Itu00a0 was a difficult match. The first game was very tough. In the second I held sway and forced him into errors. He kept fighting and I had to dig deep for the victory,'' said an elated Ghosal.
"It is definitely the best win of my PSA career,'' opined the World No 32.
The task will get stiffer for the Kolkata youngster as he runs into reigning World Open champion Amr Shabana of Egypt in the Round of 16.
"Playing Shabana is a real honour. He is a legend, a four-time World Open champion. There are no weaknesses in his game,'' said the 23-year-old.
Incidentally, the two have only met once previously at the World Men's team event in Chennai in 2007 which Shabana won 3-0.