Squash
Perry is Chennai runner-up

Buy photos » Sarah-Jane Perry with Joshna Chinappa. (s)

SARAH-JANE PERRY finished runner-up in the Chennai Open.

The Kenilworth ace, who was seeded No 3, started with a straightforward 11-4, 11-2, 11-6 victory over Australian Jessica Turnbull.

She fell behind against Victoria Bell, a fellow former British National Junior champion, but Perry dug in to take the next three games and progressed into the last four by winning 8-1, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 .

The semi-final against rising Indian star Anaka Alankamony proved tougher as, even with air conditioning, the court temperature was 30 degrees centigrade. Perry had to come back from match ball down in the fourth, but eventually won a 69 minute epic 8-11, 11-5, 6-11, 14-12, 11-6.

Perry took the first game against No 2 seed Joshna Chinappa from India in the final.

But Chinappa’s greater experience and home town support told as she took the title 9-11, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10.

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