India's Saurav Ghosal clinched the bronze medal in squash men's singles by beating James Willstrop of England 11-6, 11-1, 11-4 to take India's Commonwealth Games 2022 medal tally to 15. This was also India's first-ever medal in squash singles at the Games. India now have five gold, silver and bronze medals each in the Birmingham Games so far. Ghosal, who had won the silver medal in the mixed doubles event in Gold Coast in 2018, gave the Englishman no chance whatsoever in one of the most one-sided medal matches of CWG.
The Indian No.1 took an early lead in the first game and consolidated that till the end. Unlike in the semi-finals against the World No.2, Ghosal was much more precise with his strokes. He took the defensive approach, allowing Willstrop to do all the leg work at the beginning, knowing that being the fitter and leaner of the two, he would more often than not emerge on top of the rallies. And that's exactly what happened as the man from Kolkata took the first game 11-6.
In the second game, however, Ghosal started to play on the frontfoot and did not allow Willstrop any sort of momentum. The world no.15 attacked early and breezed to 5-0 lead. The Englishman got on the board but Ghosal took six more points consecutively to take a 2-0 lead by winning the second game 11-1.
There was not let up from Ghosal in the third game as he continued his barrage of forehands to runaway with a 4-0 lead. Willstrop, Ghosal's former training partner, tried his level best to make a comeback with a couple of his signature backdrops but Ghosal on the day was simply outstanding. He took the final game 11-4 to take the bronze.
{{/usCountry}}There was not let up from Ghosal in the third game as he continued his barrage of forehands to runaway with a 4-0 lead. Willstrop, Ghosal's former training partner, tried his level best to make a comeback with a couple of his signature backdrops but Ghosal on the day was simply outstanding. He took the final game 11-4 to take the bronze.
{{/usCountry}}The 35-year-old will pair up with Dipika Pallikal in the mixed doubles event. The two had won the silver in Gold Coast.