India s leading squash player Dipika Pallikal started off on a strong note in the Granite Open, beating Egyptian qualifier Nouran El Torky 3-1 in the first round of the USD 25,000 PSA world tour event here.
The Indian won 11-4, 9-11, 11-2, 11-7 in a match played Tuesday night.
Playing an Egyptian is always tricky and 17th-ranked Dipika realised it too as she played a tight game to keep down the enthusiasm of the world number 61. Despite the disparity in the rankings, Nouran put up a good fight.