New Delhi: Indian squash star Anahat Singh scripted history at the Silicon Valley Open by becoming the first Indian player to reach the semifinals of a PSA Gold-level event.
The world No. 15 produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Egypt’s Salma Hany, ranked 14th in the world, in a thrilling five-game encounter. Anahat recovered twice from a losing position before securing an 11-4, 8-11, 11-4, 2-11, 5-11 victory to book her place in the last four.
The 18-year-old displayed impressive composure and tactical maturity after struggling in the opening stages. Following a topsy-turvy start, she took control in the final two games, restricting Hany to just seven points across the fourth and fifth games combined.
Anahat admitted that the match was challenging, particularly because she had never faced Hany before. However, she remained determined to fight back despite losing the opening game heavily.
She said she wanted to make a strong comeback and compete until the end, regardless of the result. The Indian youngster was delighted to have progressed further in the tournament and maintained her momentum after an emotionally demanding previous round.
Anahat had earlier produced one of the biggest victories of her career by defeating Egypt’s eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini 3-0 in the quarterfinal stage. She won that encounter 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 in just 30 minutes, underlining her growing ability to challenge the sport’s biggest names.
The victory over El Sherbini gave Anahat confidence heading into the clash against Hany. Her latest triumph further strengthens her position among the emerging talents in international squash.
Anahat now faces Malaysia’s world No. 4 Sivasangari Subramaniam in the semifinals. The encounter presents another major challenge, with the Malaysian having defeated the Indian in the gold medal match at the 2026 Asian Games.
With a place in the final at stake, Anahat will look to continue her historic run and secure another landmark achievement for Indian squash.
