Doha, September 13 (Daily Kiran) : Indian squash star Anahat Singh faced a tough defeat at the Qatar Classic, held in Doha, on September 13. Competing in the women’s singles second round, the 17-year-old lost to Belgium’s Tinne Gillis, the world number 9. This tournament features a prize pool of $242,000 and is classified as a PSA Platinum event.
Anahat, currently ranked 20th globally, showcased her skills once again against a higher-ranked player. Despite taking an early lead in two games, she was unable to secure a victory. Gillis, the eighth seed, opened the match strongly, winning the first game 11-4. Anahat responded with impressive play, claiming the next two games 11-8 and 11-9, bringing her close to a quarter-final berth.
However, Gillis, who has reached a career-high ranking of number 5, leveraged her experience to turn the match around. She won the fourth game 11-4, leveling the match, and then dominated the decisive game, winning 11-3 to advance to the next round.
Despite the loss, Anahat’s performance in Doha was another encouraging experience against established players. She had a strong start in the tournament, defeating Egypt’s Farida Mohamed, ranked 16th in the world, in the first round with scores of 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7.
Anahat was part of a four-member Indian singles team that included Abhay Singh, Veer Chotrani, and Tanvi Khanna. In the men’s first round, Abhay, ranked 24th, was defeated by Switzerland’s Dimitri Steinmann, ranked 22nd, with scores of 7-11, 9-11, 12-14. Meanwhile, Chotrani, ranked 38th, lost to New Zealand’s Paul Coll, the second seed, with scores of 11-2, 11-3, 11-1. The Indian squash players will now focus on the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, where Anahat, Abhay, Chotrani, and Tanvi will lead the country’s challenge in the singles events.
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