Indian squash player Velavan Senthilkumar claimed the USD 35,000 Czech Open title in Brno on 3 November 2026, defeating top seed Greg Lobban of Scotland in a four-game final to secure his 12th PSA Tour title. The fourth-seeded Indian, ranked 42nd in the world, overcame world No. 31 Lobban 13-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 in a contest that tested his composure at every stage.

How the Final Unfolded

The opening game was the tightest of the four, going down to the wire before Senthilkumar edged it 13-11. He then stepped up the tempo to take the second decisively, 11-5. Lobban fought back to claim the third 11-8, threatening a turnaround, but the Indian regrouped and closed out the fourth game 11-7 to lift the trophy. Lobban had reached the final with a straight-games win over Frenchman Toufik Mekhalfi.

Senthilkumar's Road to the Title

The path to the final demanded consistency across multiple rounds. Senthilkumar opened his campaign with a second-round win over Brazil's Diego Gobbi, followed by a dominant quarterfinal display against eighth seed Jeremias Azana of Argentina, winning 11-3, 11-8, 11-7. In the semifinals, he was equally impressive against France's Auguste Dussourd, wrapping up a 11-7, 12-10, 11-1 victory to book his place in the final.

A Second PSA Copper Crown and Growing Consistency

The Czech Open is a PSA Copper-level event, and this is Senthilkumar's second title at the grade. He had claimed his first Copper-level crown at the Budapest Open in August 2026, defeating Hungary's Balazs Farkas in that final. The back-to-back Copper titles signal a marked upturn in consistency for the 42nd-ranked player as he targets greater heights on the PSA Tour. Notably, his two PSA Copper wins have come within a matter of months, underlining a sharp trajectory heading into the Olympic cycle.

Asian Games Medals Add to a Strong Stretch

Senthilkumar's Czech Open win caps what has been a productive recent run. At the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, he returned with two bronze medals — one in the mixed team event alongside Joshna Chinappa, and another as part of the Indian men's team, whose campaign ended in the semifinals with a 2-1 defeat to Malaysia. The combination of Asian Games podium finishes and PSA Tour silverware places him among India's most in-form squash players ahead of squash's Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

Indian Players Struggle at US Open

In contrast, Indian players had a difficult outing at the USD 241,000 US Open, a PSA Platinum event in Philadelphia. World No. 1 and top seed Mostafa Asal of Egypt dismantled Abhay Singh 11-3, 11-1, 11-7 in the opening round, then defeated Veer Chotrani 11-1, 11-6, 11-4 in the second round, eliminating both Indian challengers. The contrasting results across the two events reflect the gap Indian players are still bridging at Platinum level, even as Senthilkumar makes steady progress up the rankings.

With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics now firmly on the horizon, all eyes will be on whether Senthilkumar can maintain this momentum and crack the world's top 20 in the months ahead.