How did Anahat Singh Perform in New York's Sprott Tournament?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New York, Jan 24 (NationPress) Anahat Singh, India's top female squash player, has successfully progressed to the second round of the prestigious Sprott Tournament of Champions, a PSA Platinum event taking place in New York. In contrast, Abhay Singh faced a tough loss in his first match, narrowly missing victory in a five-set battle.
Ranked World No. 31, Anahat triumphed over England’s Lucy Turmel with scores of 11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 13-11, and will now compete against the sixth seed from Japan, Satomi Watanabe.
On the other hand, men’s World No. 29 Abhay was edged out by Spain’s Iker Pajares, with the final scores being 4-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 3-11.
Earlier this month, Anahat faced defeat in the women’s Under-19 final of the highly regarded British Junior Open squash tournament at the University of Birmingham. She lost to France's second seed Lauren Baltayan in a close match, with scores of 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11, marking her ninth appearance in a BJO final across various age categories.
Anahat reached her first-ever Under-19 final at this esteemed event by overcoming Egypt’s Malika El Karaksy (3/4) in the semifinals with scores of 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 in just 28 minutes.
Previously, Anahat had won against Malika in last year's BJO U-17 final and during the World Junior Championships quarterfinals, consistently targeting front corners and converting these opportunities into winners, securing the match in straight games during the tournament's 100th-anniversary edition.
In 2025, the Delhi-based player had a remarkable year, achieving her highest world ranking of 28 in just her second season on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour and defeating two top-20 players. Recently, she narrowly defeated former World No. 10 Joshna Chinappa 11-8, 11-13, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8 to clinch the title at the HCL Squash Indian Tour 4 held at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai.
In November, Anahat showcased her talent by narrowly overcoming the experienced Chinappa 3-2 in an exhilarating all-Indian women’s final at the Daly College SRFI Indian Open squash event in Indore. As the top seed and ranked 33rd worldwide, she won the 55-minute match with scores of 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, marking her 13th PSA title.
Earlier, Abhay Singh contributed to India’s victory in the inaugural Squash World Cup by achieving a commanding 3-0 win against the top seeds, Hong Kong, in the final at Express Avenue Mall in Chennai.
This victory was a milestone for Indian squash, as the team became the fifth nation to secure a major World Squash team title.
The mixed-team World Cup included 12 teams globally, with India entering the final eager to overcome their disappointment from the 2023 semifinals, held on the same court. Supported by an enthusiastic home crowd, the hosts delivered an outstanding performance to claim the title.