How Did Anahat Singh Reach the Finals of Squash on Fire Open in Washington?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Chennai, Feb 1 (NationPress) India's young sensation Anahat Singh has made it to her first final at a PSA Bronze-level tournament during the Squash on Fire Open held in Washington, securing a 3-1 win against Sabrina Sobhy from the US. The Indian player, ranked 31st in the world, achieved this remarkable feat by overcoming the American, who is ranked 23rd, with scores of 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5 in the semifinals. Anahat will now face the tournament's top seed and World No. 10, Georgina Kennedy from England, in the title match.
Before reaching the finals, Anahat mounted a stunning comeback from two games down to defeat the second seed, Sana Ibrahim, in the quarterfinals. She battled back from a 6-5 deficit in both the third and fourth games, ultimately winning with scores of 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 against the Egyptian, who is ranked 17th in the world.
At just 17 years old, Anahat has garnered attention on the PSA Tour this season, notably reaching the semifinals of the Silver-level Canadian Women’s Open in October, which helped her climb into the top 30 globally shortly thereafter.
Her recent track record includes finishing as the runner-up in the British Junior Open, contributing to a historic win for the Indian team in the inaugural Squash World Cup, and clinching the title at the Daly College Cup PSA event in Indore.
In the women’s Under-19 final at the British Junior Open, Anahat, who is currently the top seed, faced a narrow defeat in four closely contested games. The 29th-ranked player was bested by French second seed Lauren Baltayan with scores of 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11. This marked her ninth final appearance across various age categories at the BJO.
She successfully progressed to her first women’s under-19 final at this prestigious event, winning her semifinal match against Egypt’s Malika El Karaksy (3/4) in just 28 minutes with scores of 11-8, 11-7, 11-9.