London, September 2: Indian players Anahat Singh and Ramit Tandon kicked off their campaigns with impressive victories at the London Squash Classic. Both secured direct wins to advance to the pre-quarterfinals of the PSA Gold tournament, while Veer Chotrani faced an early exit.
Anahat, the current junior world champion and ranked 20th globally, delivered the standout performance of the day. She defeated Egypt’s world number 30, Mariam Metwally, with a commanding score of 11-3, 11-2, completing the match in just 11 minutes.
From the outset, the young Indian maintained control, giving Metwally little opportunity to settle into the match. After a swift first game, Anahat continued her dominance in the second, securing her spot in the next round of the $144,000 PSA Gold event. Her next challenge will be formidable, as she faces Belgium’s world number 11, Nele Gilis, in the pre-quarterfinals on Thursday.
In the men’s draw, world number 42 Ramit Tandon also advanced without dropping a game. He triumphed over Qatar’s Abdullah Al-Tamimi with scores of 11-6, 11-7 in a match that lasted 20 minutes.
Tandon maintained his dominance throughout both games, ensuring his place in the pre-quarterfinals, where he will meet the eighth seed, Mohamed Elshorbagy. Born in Egypt, Elshorbagy now represents England and poses a significant challenge for the Indian player. Unfortunately, it was disappointing news for world number 38 Veer Chotrani, who was defeated in a tight match by Switzerland’s Yannick Wilhelmi.
Wilhelmi, ranked 34th, won both games by the same margin (11-9), ending Chotrani’s journey early. The London Squash Classic remains a crucial international competition for India’s top players. Anahat and Chotrani are both part of the Indian squash team preparing for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
With Anahat and Tandon safely through to the pre-quarterfinals, India aims to build on its strong performance in this significant PSA World Tour Gold event.
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