Sanya Vats reaches Chennai Squash PSA Challenger semis, faces top seed Othman
Synopsis
Sanya Vats is the last Indian in the draw at the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour-Chennai, having beaten compatriot Unnati Tripathi in the quarterfinals. She now faces Egyptian top seed Rouqaia Othman in the semis — a formidable test, even as Tanvi Khanna's five-set comeback title in Mumbai signals a broader rise in Indian women's squash.
Key Takeaways
Sanya Vats (4th seed) beat Unnati Tripathi (8th seed) 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 to reach the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour-Chennai semifinals on 13 July .
Vats will face Egyptian top seed Rouqaia Othman in the last-four stage.
All other Indians — Suraj Chand , Om Semwal , Rathika Seelan , and Pooja Arthi Raghu — exited at the quarterfinal stage.
Tanvi Khanna won the women's title at the HCL-SRFI PSA Challenger Tournament in Mumbai , recovering from 0-2 down to beat Egypt's Farida Walid 8-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 .
Syafiq Kamal claimed the men's title in Mumbai, defeating Yassin Shohdy (Egypt) 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-8 .
Sanya Vats became the sole Indian player to reach the semifinals of the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour-Chennai at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai on Monday, 13 July, defeating compatriot Unnati Tripathi in four games in the women's quarterfinals. The fourth seed will now face Egyptian top seed Rouqaia Othman in the last-four stage.
Vats's Quarterfinal Win
Fourth seed Sanya Vats overcame eighth seed Unnati Tripathi 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 in the women's quarterfinals. The all-Indian contest was closely fought in the third game, but Vats held her composure to close out the match and set up a stern test against Othman, who swept past Pooja Arthi Raghu 11-9, 13-11, 11-7 in her own quarterfinal.
Indian Campaign in the Men's Draw
The men's draw proved tougher for Indian hopefuls. Second seed Suraj Chand, who had rallied impressively to beat Kuwait's Ammar Altamimi 6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 in the pre-quarterfinals on Sunday, was eliminated at the quarterfinal stage by Egypt's Adham Roshdy 8-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-7. Men's seventh seed Om Semwal also exited, going down to top seed Joachim Chuah of Malaysia 11-3, 11-5, 11-9.
Other Indian Women Exit at Quarterfinal Stage
Third seed Rathika Seelan was beaten by Korea's sixth seed Hwayeong Eum 11-13, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5, while Pooja Arthi Raghu fell to Othman in straight games. Ananya Narayanan had earlier progressed past Janet Vidhi in four games in the first round on Saturday but could not sustain the run.
Tanvi Khanna's Title at Mumbai PSA Challenger
In a separate tournament, India's Tanvi Khanna claimed the women's title at the HCL-SRFI PSA Challenger Tournament at the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana Club in Mumbai in a remarkable comeback. The third seed recovered from two games down to defeat Egypt's second seed Farida Walid 8-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 in a 45-minute contest, also avenging a 2-3 loss to the same opponent in January this year. The men's title at the same event went to Malaysia's M. Syafiq Kamal, who beat Egypt's Yassin Shohdy 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-8.
Full Quarterfinal Results
Men: Md Syafiq Kamal (Malaysia) bt Hugo Jaen (Spain) 11-8, 11-3, 11-7; 1-Joachim Chuah (Malaysia) bt 7-Om Semwal 11-3, 11-5, 11-9; 4-Salah Eltorgman (Canada) bt Wa Sern Low (Malaysia) 9-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-1, 11-4; Adham Roshdy (Egypt) bt 2-Suraj Chand 8-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-7.
Women: 4-Sanya Vats bt 8-Unnati Tripathi 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8; 1-Rouqaia Othman (Egypt) bt Pooja Arthi Raghu 11-9, 13-11, 11-7; 6-Hwayeong Eum (Korea) bt 3-Rathika Seelan 11-13, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5; Hana Aladdin (Egypt) bt Thanusaa Uthrian (Malaysia) 7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 8-11, 13-11.
With Vats now the last Indian standing in Chennai, all eyes turn to her semifinal clash against Othman — a match that will test her ability to beat the tournament's top seed on home soil.
Point of View
But the quarterfinal sweep of other Indian contenders — including seeds Suraj Chand, Om Semwal, and Rathika Seelan — underlines the depth gap between Indian players and the Egyptian and Malaysian contingents dominating the PSA Challenger circuit. Tanvi Khanna's title in Mumbai offers a counterpoint, but the Chennai draw makes clear that consistency across tournaments, not one-off results, is what India's squash programme needs. Vats's match against Othman will be a genuine barometer of how close Indian women's squash is to challenging the sport's traditional powers.
NationPress
14 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sanya Vats and what did she achieve at the Chennai PSA Challenger?
Sanya Vats is an Indian squash player seeded fourth at the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour-Chennai. She reached the semifinals on 13 July by defeating compatriot Unnati Tripathi 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 in the women's quarterfinals, becoming the only Indian player to progress to the last four.
Who will Sanya Vats face in the semifinals?
Sanya Vats will face Egyptian top seed Rouqaia Othman in the semifinals. Othman reached the last four by beating India's Pooja Arthi Raghu 11-9, 13-11, 11-7 in the quarterfinals.
How did other Indian players perform at the Chennai PSA Challenger quarterfinals?
All other Indians exited at the quarterfinal stage. Suraj Chand lost to Egypt's Adham Roshdy, Om Semwal fell to top seed Joachim Chuah of Malaysia, and Rathika Seelan was beaten by Korea's Hwayeong Eum. Pooja Arthi Raghu lost to top seed Rouqaia Othman.
What happened at the HCL-SRFI PSA Challenger Tournament in Mumbai?
India's Tanvi Khanna won the women's title in Mumbai, staging a comeback from two games down to beat Egypt's Farida Walid 8-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 in 45 minutes. The men's title went to Malaysia's M. Syafiq Kamal, who defeated Egypt's Yassin Shohdy 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-8.
Where is the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour-Chennai being held?
The tournament is being held at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai. It is part of the PSA Challenger Tour, one of the tiers of the Professional Squash Association's global circuit.
