Indian
squash star Dipika Pallikal fulfilled her top billing in the
Women's JSW WSA Indian Circuit No3 when she beat Egyptian Nouran
El Torky in the final of the WSA Tour 5 event at the
National Sports Club of India in Mumbai to become the first
home winner of the women's series.
Pallikal, the world No12 from Chennai, took her place in the 13th WSA
World Tour final of her career after beating South African Cheyna
Tucker in the semi-finals in straight games.
With
the first two Indian Circuit titles already to her credit, 21-year-old
sixth seed El Torky continued her 'giant-killing' run at the NSCI by
upsetting No2 seed Laura Pomportes in the other semi to reach her
third successive Indian final - and her fifth in a row on the WSA Tour!
But
Pallikal was too strong for the world No64 from Alexandria, winning
14-12, 12-10, 11-7 in 46 minutes to secure the eighth Tour title of her
career.
"It
was a good match," said Pallikal (pictured above in action with El
Torky), winner of India's first ever Commonwealth Games
squash gold medal with Joshana Chinappa at Glasgow 2014 in
August. "Me and Nouran go back to our junior days at every British
Juniors. They were tough matches.
"It's
nice to come up with a win for the home crowd. My main aim was to
support this tournament. I'm just glad to be a part.
"I
hope we get more tournaments like this in India, because it's really
phenomenal to play in front of a home crowd. It's hopefully the start of
great things to come in Indian squash."