With runners-up finish, India equalled their best ever squash performance at the Games. They had also reached the final at Incheon four years ago
Jakarta: The Indian women's squash team finished second best to a clinical Hong Kong in the final, settling for a silver at the 18th Asian Games here on Saturday.
Sunayna Kuruvilla and India number one Joshna Chinappa lost their respective singles as the team suffered its second defeat against Hong Kong in a space of three days.
A silver was a creditable performance nonetheless, having surprised defending champions Malaysia in the semifinals on Friday.
Also read: Dipika Pallikal bags bronze
With runners-up finish, India equalled their best ever performance at the Games. They had also reached the final at Incheon four years ago.
The Indian contingent ended with five medals overall including the women's team silver, men's team bronze and three bronze medals in the individual event.
The first match was between the weakest players of both teams with world number 88 Kuruvilla taking on world number 51 Tze Lok Ho.
The young Indian beat Ho in the group stage. It was the biggest win of Kuruvilla's career and she was also the sole victor for India in the match with Chinappa and Pallikal losing to Annie and Joey Chan respectively.
On Saturday, both Kuruvilla and Ho played in the same fashion as they did on Thursday. Not the swiftest of movers around the court, they often got in each other’s way, leading to plenty of let calls and strokes which were mostly awarded to the Hong Kong player.
The umpire even warned Kuruvilla multiple times to not obstruct her opponent.
The first game was evenly contested while Ho ran away with the second one to make it 2-0. The third one was fiercely fought. The Indian's perfectly placed nick off the backhand gave her the game ball on 10-9 but Ho made it 10-10.
Kuruvilla won the next two points to make it 1-2 in the opening singles.
The Indian, however, trailed 3-9 in the fourth game and could not produce another fight back losing 8-11, 6-11, 12-10, 3-11.
Next up was a must-win match for India as Joshna, conqueror of eight-time world champion Nicol David in the semi-finals, faced familiar foe Annie.
The world number 11 had thrashed the 16th ranked Indian on Thursday.
The way Joshna was outplayed in the first game, it seemed like a one way match again. The second was much more competitive but Annie's relentless attack paid off as she took a 2-0 lead in the best of five.
Annie raced to a 10-2 lead in the third game and it was all over for India. Joshna lost 3-11, 9-11, 5-11.
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