Indians fail to clear first round

MUMBAI, NOV 29: It was bad day for India as none of its wild card entrants in the qualifying round of the Mahindra International Squash Challenge 1997 met with success at the Cricket Club of India CCI courts on Saturday.

Gajender Singh was the lone Indian who put up a decent fight against Craig Rowland of Australia, giving the world No 28 some anxious moments.

Gajender, after losing the first two games 3-15, 4-15 was leading 14-11 in the third. However, Rowland levelled at 14-14 and took the third game and match 17-15.

RESULTS

1st qualifying round Craig Rowland Aus bt Gajender Singh India 15-3, 15-4, 17-15, Mir Zaman Gul Pak bt Paul Ferreira India 15-4, 15-2, 15-8; Mohammed Hussain Pak bt Akhil Behl India 15-10, 15-8; Michael Fitteni Aus bt Ritwik Bhattacharya India 15-4, 15-9, 15-10; Amjad Khan Pak bt Dhiraj Singh India 15-8, 15-5, 15-1; Mohammad Medat Morsi Egypt bt Rohan Juneja India 15-4, 15-10, 15-13; Graham Ryding Can bt Gaurav Juneja India 15-11, 15-3, 15-10; Kumal Mehmood Pak bt Parth Doshi India 15-6, 15-5, 15-9; Tim Garner Eng bt Manish Chotrani India 15-4, 15-10, 15-5; Stephen Meads Eng bt Shahzad Mohib Pak 15-7, 15-5, 15-1; Mohammed Al-Said Egypt bt Joseph Kneipp Aus 11-15, 15-9, 15-6, 15-10; Kashe Shuja Pak bt Imad Kirtan Egypt 15-10, 15-3, 15-7; Nick Taylor Eng bt Ben Waterfall Eng 15-7, 15-12, 15-9; Juha Raumolin Fin bt Izaz Azmat Pak 15-8, 15-12, 15-11; Danny Meddings Eng bt Sohail Qaiser Pak 15-10, 15-9, 15-10; Kenneth Low Malaysia bt Mohamad Ismail Pak 15-8, 11-15, 15-12, 15-2.