The clash in the atrium of the Express Avenue Mall, the largest shopping complex in southern India, took place on the unique ASB GlassCourt – an all-glass show court featuring a pioneering new glass floor with under-floor LED lighting – and attracted a rolling crowd of some 50,000 partisan spectators who watched the action from vantage points on four floors.

France, who had earlier provided the new competition with its first shock by defeating second seeds England, went 1-0 when Lucas Serme, ranked 139th in the world, defeated 20-year-old Chennai player Ravi Dixit 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7.

"It was good playing in front of this great crowd, but I had to try and block them out and think of my team," said the 19-year-old Frenchman.

After this opening disappointment for the crowd, the decibels increased noticeably as Dipika Pallikal, the Chennai born-and-bred 20-year-old who is ranked 14th in the world, beat Chloe Mesic 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 in just 26 minutes to level the tie.

Kolkata-born Tandon has seen his world ranking slip to 333 since taking up an economics course at Columbia University in the USA last year.

However, the 19-year-old showed no signs of inferiority as he defeated Geoffrey Demont (pictured left), ranked almost 200 places higher.

After reaching match-ball at 10-6 in the fourth, the home player required six attempts before sealing the match 11-5, 6-11, 11-2, 14-12 to set off jubilant scenes of celebration.

"We've worked hard for this, but I did feel a lot of pressure in that match," Tandon said.

"At 10-6 in the fourth, I just got too excited and made too many errors.

"But my team helped me through."

India national coach Cyrus Poncha said: "It's an absolutely wonderful feeling and just great for Indian squash.

"It's good to show the results of all the efforts over the last ten years started by the commitment by Mr Ramachandran, now the WSF President, to invest in the Indian Squash Academy which has produced so many talented young players, including all the ones tonight."


India will now face the favourites, Egypt, who defeated England 2-1 in a semi-final  which saw 17-year-old Emily Whitlock (pictured right) earn what she described as her "best win ever" in defeating the world junior champion, Nour El Tayeb (left), for the first time.

Marwan El Shorbagy, the rapidly improving world junior champion who now boasts a world ranking of 33, put Egypt into the lead as expected, but England's Charles Sharpes stretched the match to four games before the 18-year-old from Alexandria claimed his 11-7, 12-14, 11-4, 11-6 win after 50 minutes.

El Tayeb had won the three previous encounters with Whitlock, who is European junior champion, and now boasts a world ranking of 18 after leaping to 12 three months ago.

But Whitlock, ranked 15 places lower, came away with an 11-8, 12-10, 11-9 victory, coming from behind in all three games.

England's hopes of a place in the final were dashed however when the Egyptian number two, Karim Abdel Gawad, beat 18-year-old Declan James 11-7, 11-8, 11-9.

Egypt coach Amir Wagih acknowledged that the tie had lived up to expectations, saying: "Matches with England always have a special atmosphere, like last year's senior World Cup final, and today was no exception.

"Emily played a great game which meant that all the pressure was on Karim."

The England camp were full of praise for Whitlock's stunning performance.

"It was huge," said England coach David Campion.

"The whole point of being here is to learn from this world class environment.

"This was the best win of Emily's career and the fact that she did it here in this world arena makes it even more special."

Whitlock added: "It's awesome.

"I just can't believe it.

"It's definitely my best win ever.

"I've been really nervous recently.

"I know it's a team event, but she was 12 in the world and I beat her.

"Maybe I really am quite good after all.

"Nour is actually a good friend of mine and she said to me when we arrived in Chennai that I should relax more.

"'You're 33 in the world and you could beat people in the top 20' she said.

"It's shame I didn't beat her in last year's world junior championships but I just wasn't good enough then.

"I just didn't believe in myself, but I know I've improved a lot since the British Junior Open last month."

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