Punjab Newsline,Sports:
Strong start for Anahat at PSA Platinum Tournament of Champions; Abhay bows out in five-set thriller
India’s leading women’s squash player Anahat Singh delivered an impressive performance to advance to the second round of the prestigious Sprott Tournament of Champions in New York, a PSA Platinum-level event featuring the world’s top players. Ranked World No. 31, Anahat defeated England’s Lucy Turmel in a closely contested opening-round match, winning 11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 13-11. With this victory, the Indian star set up a challenging second-round clash against Japan’s sixth seed Satomi Watanabe.
In contrast, India’s campaign in the men’s singles saw an early setback as World No. 29 Abhay Singh was knocked out in the first round after a hard-fought five-set encounter. Abhay went down to Spain’s Iker Pajares in a gripping match that ended 4-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 3-11. Despite showing resilience and leveling the contest twice, Abhay was unable to maintain momentum in the decisive fifth game.
Earlier this month, Anahat also made headlines at the renowned British Junior Open Squash Championships, where she reached the women’s Under-19 final at the University of Birmingham. In the final, she suffered a narrow defeat against French second seed Lauren Baltayan, losing 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11. This marked Anahat’s ninth appearance in a British Junior Open final across various age categories, underlining her consistency at the elite junior level. In the semifinals, she had defeated Egypt’s Malika El Karaksy in straight games to secure her place in the title match.
The Delhi-based squash prodigy enjoyed a breakout year in 2025, achieving a career-high world ranking of 28 in just her second season on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour. During the year, she also registered victories over two top-20 players. Recently, Anahat clinched the title at the HCL Squash Indian Tour 4 in Chennai, edging out former World No. 10 Joshna Chinappa in a thrilling five-game final.
Meanwhile, Abhay Singh has already etched his name in Indian squash history. He played a key role in India’s triumph at the mixed-team Squash World Cup in Chennai, where the hosts defeated top seeds Hong Kong, China, 3–0 in the final. That victory made India only the fifth nation to win a major World Squash team event, marking a landmark moment for the sport in the country.