Guangzhou: Indian men and women squash teams settled for a bronze medal in the Asian Games after slumping to identical 0-2 defeats at the hands of Pakistan and Malaysia respectively in the semifinals here on Wednesday.
The women were no match for the higher-ranked Malysians as as Anaka Alankamony was drubbed 0-3 Wee Wern Low in the first tie before world number one Nicol Ann David defeated Joshna by an identical margin.
The Indian quartet of Joshna, Anaka, Dipika Pallikal and Anwesha Reddy had to be contend with the bronze medal along with the Korean girls, who too suffered a 0-2 loss at the hands of Hong Kong in the other semifinal.
Malaysia and Hong Kong will clash for the gold medal in the Town Gymnasium on Thursday.
In the lop-sided semifinal on Wednesday, both the Indians failed to put up any resistance before their fancied opponents as Anaka was humiliated 2-11 4-11 6-11 by Low in 22 minutes.
The script was no different for Joshna as Nicol, the gold medallist in the individual event, ended the Indian's challenge in just 18 minutes with a 11-4 11-2 11-3 victory which rendered the third and final tie between Anwesha and Delia Odette Arnold inconsequential.
The Indian men's team took on top seed Pakistan later in the day but they too lost 0-2 in a one-sided affair.
India's Siddharth Suchde, world No.73, had his chances against Farhan Mehboob, world No. 30, but lost 14-16, 12-10, 9-11, 5-11.
India's No.1 Saurav Ghoshal, ranked 25th in the world, lost 13-15, 11-5, 5-11, 6-11 to World No.23 Aamir Atlas Khan, who belongs to the clan of legendary Pakistani Jansher Khan.
Saurav, who had stunned world No.15 Mohammed Azlan Iskandar of Malaysia here on Tuesday, was scrappy against the Pakistani.
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