Saurav sails into semis, to meet El shorbagy

Chennai, June 14 (UNI) Fifth seeded Mohammed El Shorbagy of Egypt lowered the colours of fourth seeded Englishman Neil Hitchens to set up a semi-final clash with top seed and India's Saurav Ghosal, in the fifth PSA ICL Chennai Open Squash championship here today.

In the quarter finals, the Egyptian squandered three match points in the fourth game, before getting the better of Neil Hitchens 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-13, 11-4 in nearly an hour to enter the last four.

Saurav disposed off compatriot Naresh Kumar 11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 11-6 in 35 minutes to make it to the last four stage.

Saurav's match went on predicted lines as he was hardly tested by Naresh. But the contest between Shorbagy and Hitchens turned out to be a battle between two equals. Ranking wise Shorbagy's win could be termed as an upset, but the way he played, especially the cross court shots and deft drops close to the tin, the Egyptian trooped out a deserving winner.

Inititally, things were not too rosy for Shorbagy, who lost the opening game. But he came back well with his guns blazing to pocket the next two and was poised to knot up the match in the fourth game itself. But an unfavourable decision at 10-8, after he trailed 1-6, stretched the game to extra points.

A pair of errors initially when Shorbagy hit the tin quite often allowed Hitchens to run up a 3-0 and 6-1 lead. The Egyptian came back well by tightening his returns and slowing the pace of the game. His touch at the forecourt caught the Englishman off guard and he reduced the leeway to 6-7 and then neutralized at 8-8.

He won two points in a row for a 10-8 lead before he was denied a ''stroke'' by the referee at match point. He missed a forehand at 10-9 and the game went to extra points where Shorbagy got the third match point at 11-10. Two fine returns from Hitchens and a low return by Shorbagy stretched the contest to the decider, where the Egyptian was unstoppable.

He led 4-0. Hitchens leveled at 4-4, before Shorbagy reeled off seven points in a row bringing a tame finish to an otherwise evenly-contested affair.

Results (Quarter finals): Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt Naresh Kumar (Ind) 11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 11-6; Mohammed El Shorbagy (Egypt) bt Neil Hitchens (England) 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-13, 11-4.

UNI