Mumbai: A spirited display by India's top-ranked player Saurav Ghosal against Egypt's Amr Shabana was not enough to prevent Indian challenge from being ended in the 'Punj Llyod PSA Masters 2009' here this evening.
Ghosal matched Shabana's strokeplay for a major part of the game and was also successful in taking a game off him, but the four-time World champion kept his cool when it mattered the most to pocket the game 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 12-10 under lights in an 'All Glass Court' at the Bombay Gymkhana here.
Ferocious smashes and deft touches were all on display and the game could have gone down to the wire before an error by the referee put paid to Ghosal's hopes.
The match began on an even keel with Ghosal restricting the Egytian's lead to 6-5 in the opening game before Shabana surged ahead, assisted by a couple of unforced errors on the former's part, and settled the issue with a smashing forehand and a cheeky tap.
Three unforced errors in the beginning of the second game by Shabana enabled Ghoshal to move ahead 8-5 in the second set, then clinch it 11-6 with a perfect stroke of the forehand.
In a match played at an electric pace, the world number three also found time to display his sense of sportsmanship spirit as he refused to claim a point that was awarded to him, and saw to it that it deservingly went to the Indian.
PTI
First Published: Monday, December 07, 2009, 21:05