After being muted, the applause and cheers from the spectators and passers-by at the Express Avenue Mall became louder once India took on Hong Kong in the last tie of the evening at the Squash World Cup on Tuesday.
The host, seeded two, turned on the heat when it mattered to blank its opponent 4-0 in its first Group-B match on a day when all the fancied teams — top-seeded Egypt, third seed Japan, and Malaysia, seeded fourth — won with ease.
Abhay Singh, ranked 72nd and the owner of seven PSA titles, was up against the 23-year-old Chung Yat Long, who is yet to bag a title. After being routed in the first two games, Chung showed resolve in the third by pushing the Indian to the corners. Tied 6-6, Abhay sealed it with a huge forehand.
Joshna Chinappa put it across Fung Heylie in three straight games in the second tie before Saurav Ghosal, who gave a few jitters when he lost the first game to Andes Ling, roared back to win the remaining three.
Tanvi Khanna eked out a tough five-game win over Toby Tse in the fourth and final match to help India get off to a winning start.
The results: India bt Hong Kong 4-0 (Abhay Singh bt Chung Yat Long 7-2, 7-3, 7-6; Joshna Chinappa bt Fung Heylie 7-1, 7-5,7-2; Saurav Ghosal bt Andes Ling 5-7, 7-2, 7-5, 7-1; Tanvi Khanna vs Toby Tse 5-7, 6-7, 7-1, 7-4, 7-3).
Japan bt South Africa 3-1 (Tomotaka Endo bt Jean-Pierre Brits 7-4, 1-7, 2-7, 7-3, 7-5; Satomi Watanabe bt Lizelle Muller 7-2, 7-1, 7-2; Ryunosuke Tsukue bt Dewald Van Niekerk 4-7, 7-5, 7-5, 7-3; Akari Midorikawa lost to Hayley Ward 7-5, 5-7, 1-7, 2-7).
Egypt bt Australia 4-0 (Karim El Hammamy bt Nicholas Calvert 5-7, 7-3, 7-0, 7-3; Fayrouz Abouelkheir bt Jessica Turnbull 5-7, 7-4, 7-4, 7-4; Aly Abou El Einen bt Joseph White 7-1, 7-6, 7-2; Kenzy Ayman bt Alex Haydon 7-5, 7-3, 7-4).
Malaysia bt Colombia 3-1 (Ong Sai Hung bt Alfonso Marroquin 7-2, 7-3, 7-4; Aira Azman bt Laura Tovar 5-7, 7-0, 7-3, 7-1; Darren Pragasam bt Juan Felipe Tovar Perez 7-2, 7-2, 7-2; Xin Ying Yee lost to Catalina Pelaez 6-7, 6-7, 7-2, 5-7).
