India's Ritwik Bhattacharya sailed into the main draw, outclassing compatriot Supreet Singh in straight games in the second round of the qualifiers at the Kolkata International Squash tournament in on Tuesday.
Bhattacharya, the top ranked Indian professional, placed 62nd in the PSA world list, faced some resistance in the opening game before literally blowing his opponent away in the next two games at the Calcutta Racquet Club.
After a bye in the preliminary round of qualifiers on Monday, Bhattacharya fashioned a 11-7, 11-2, 11-3 triumph to move into the main draw where he would be pitted against seventh seed Gavin Jones of Wales in the opening round of the second star category PSA tournament.
Four-time national champion Bhattacharya made some unforced errors in the first game, as he seemed a trifle tentative and rusty. However, he used his experience to good use to take the game.
In the second game, Bhattacharya seemed more relaxed raising his game a few notches to win in a one-sided contest.
Upbeat after a two-game cushion, Bhattacharya opened up a 2-0 lead and rode on some fine placements to go ahead 5-2.
He won three consecutive points to lead 8-2 before Supreet added to his score. But henceforth Bhattacharya won a series of points to seal the match.
H becomes the second Indian in the main draw after reigning senior national champion Sourav Ghoshal, who was awarded a wild card.
© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
|