Asian Games: Dipika-Harinder duo advances to final, Abhay-Anahat loses

Hangzhou: The Indian duo of Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu rallied to enter the final of the mixed doubles squash event with a 2-1 win over their opponents from Hong Kong at the Asian Games here on Wednesday.

The Indians won 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 against Hong Kong's Lee Ka Yi and Wong Chi Him.

However, it was heartbreak for the second Indian pair of Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh as they lost to Aifa Binti Azman and Mohammad Syafiq Bin Mohd Kamal of Malaysia 11-8, 2-11, 9-11 in the other mixed doubles semi-final.

In a match that saw Anahat colliding with Azman, the Indians won the first game quite comfortably but lost their way in the second before the Malaysians emerged winners in the decisive tie, ensuring that it won't be an all-India final in the mixed event.

Earlier, the seasoned Dipika and Harinder lost the opening game of their semifinal to Yi and Him, but staged a remarkable comeback to claim the next two games and emerge winners after 38 minutes of intense squash.

While the Indians took just nine minutes to win the second game thanks to Harinder and Dipika's excellent court coverage, the third game lasted 15 minutes as the pair from Hong Kong looked to stretch the decider.

Even as the Indians advanced to the final, there was a moment of concern for the team when the ball struck Harinder in the face after a shot from Lee.