Indian squash sensation Anahat Singh crashed out of the Qatar Classic in Doha after a thrilling five-game contest against Belgian World No. 9 Tinne Gilis in the women’s second round of the USD 242,000 PSA Platinum event.
Fresh from her World Junior Championship victory in July, the 17-year-old Anahat, ranked World No. 20, showcased her growing prowess on the senior circuit. Gilis took the opening game 11-4, but Anahat responded with spirited wins in the next two games (11-8, 11-9), moving within one game of a quarterfinal berth.
However, Gilis, seeded eighth and a former World No. 5, used her experience to claw back, winning the fourth game 11-4 and sealing the decider 11-3. Despite the defeat, Anahat’s run in Doha, including her opening-round victory over Egypt’s World No. 16 Farida Mohamed, underlined her rising stature in global squash.
India’s other representatives — Abhay Singh, Veer Chotrani, and Tanvi Khanna — also faced tough challenges. Abhay lost to Swiss World No. 22 Dimitri Steinmann, while Chotrani was beaten by World No. 2 Paul Coll of New Zealand.
The Indian contingent will now shift focus to the Asian Games in Japan, where Anahat, Abhay, Chotrani, and Tanvi will spearhead the singles challenge.
