New Delhi: The country's top-ranked female racqueter Dipika Pallikal, who became the first Indian squash player to break into the top-20 in the world rankings, suffered a first-round defeat to Kasey Brown of Australia on Sunday night, to bow out of the US Open in Philadelphia.
Unseeded Pallikal lost to world number six Brown 8-11 8-11 6-11 in 44 minutes at the Daskalakis Athletic Center at Drexel University.
The 20-year-old Chennai girl had defeated Orla Noom of The Netherlands 11-8 11-2 11-6 in the first qualifier before registering a hard-fought 11-9 13-11 15-17 11-8 victory over Malaysia's Low Wee Wern in the qualifying finals on Saturday, to enter the main round of the USD 60,000 WISPA championship.
"The qualifying final win against Wee Wern may have taken a little out of Dipika, but she can hit some amazing winners," admitted Brown after the match.
"You have to try to match her and take it in short first if you can, which I think I was doing fairly well," the Australian added.
Meanwhile, riding on her recent title-win at the Orange county tournament in California, Pallikal touched an all-time high in the world squash rankings.
As per the October WISPA rankings, Pallikal is placed at 20th position with 3935 points, which is the highest ever for an Indian - male or female.
The Indian jumped four places from her previous ranking (24) to break into the top-20. She had started the year on 27.
National champion Joshna Chinappa remained static at No. 31 in the rankings, led by Malaysia's Nicol David.
In the men's PSA tour, Saurav Ghosal remains the highest-ranked Indian at No. 26. Siddharth Suchde, at No. 64, is the other Indian in the top-100.
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