Indian Squash Star Senthilkumar Claims Title at Czech Open

Brno, November 3 (Daily Kiran) : Indian squash player Velavan Senthilkumar triumphed at the Czech Open, overcoming Scotland’s top seed Greg Lobban to win the $35,000 tournament. This event is part of the PSA Copper-level circuit.

Ranked 42nd in the world, Senthilkumar, seeded fourth, defeated Lobban, who is ranked 31st, with scores of 13-11, 11-5, 8-11, and 11-7. This victory marks Senthilkumar’s 12th title on the PSA Tour and his second at the Copper level, having previously won his first title in this category at the Budapest Open in August.

To reach the final, Senthilkumar faced a challenging draw. He started with a win against Brazil’s Diego Gobbi in the second round and then advanced to the quarter-finals, where he beat Argentina’s eighth seed, Jeremías Azana, with a decisive score of 11-3, 11-8, 11-7.

Continuing his momentum, Senthilkumar delivered an impressive performance in the semi-finals against France’s Auguste Dussourd, winning 11-7, 12-10, 11-1 to secure his spot in the final.

Lobban, on the other hand, secured his place in the final after a straightforward victory over France’s Taufik Mekhalfi in the semi-finals, setting the stage for a showdown between the tournament’s top seed and the fourth seed.

The final proved to be a tough test for Senthilkumar, particularly in the opening game, which was closely contested. However, he managed to maintain his composure, winning the first game 13-11. He then gained more control in the second game, taking it 11-5. Although Lobban fought back to win the third game 11-8, Senthilkumar sealed the match with a 11-7 victory in the fourth game.

Before his success at the Czech Open, Senthilkumar had a remarkable performance at the 2026 Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, where he won two bronze medals. His victory at the Czech Open highlights his consistency on the PSA Tour as he aims for the Olympic debut of squash at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.