Joshna enters semis in Macau

Macau: Third seed Joshna Chinappa moved into the semifinals of the Macau Open with a convincing 11-8, 11-2, 11-9 win over fifth seed Mayar Hany of Egypt here on Friday. However, men’s second seed Saurav Ghosal suffered an unexpected exit with sixth seed Greg Lobban of Scotland chalking out a 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 win for a last four place. Earlier, Ghosal had an energy-sapping second round against compatriot Mahesh Mangaonkar. The scoreline read 9-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9 after a marathon clash lasting 77 minutes. So frustrated was Mahesh at the missed opportunity that he flung his racket on to the front wall. For Joshna, after a bye in the first round, it was a fairly easy outing against New Zealand’s Amanda Landers-Murphy. The Indian won in straight games 11-5, 11-8, 11-9. Knowing the Kiwi’s penchant for the volleys, Joshna ensured her rival was not given much of that privilege and the ploy worked. (PTI)