Anahat Singh beat Egypt’s Salma Hany 4-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 11-5 at the Silicon Valley Open to book a spot in the semifinal.
Indian squash sensation Anahat Singh continued her fairytale run at the Silicon Valley Open, adding another major milestone to her resume by storming into her first-ever PSA Gold semi-final. The World No. 15 showcased extraordinary grit to overcome Egypt’s World No. 14 Salma Hany in a captivating five-game marathon. Demonstrating immense character to fight back twice after falling behind, Anahat eventually sealed the victory with a scoreline of 4-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 11-5, becoming the first Indian in the history of the sport to reach a Gold event semifinal.
The dramatic encounter highlighted Anahat’s tactical maturity under pressure. After losing two of the first three games, the Indian prodigy completely took control of the match, allowing Hany just seven points across the final two sets combined. This historic victory not only highlights her rapid ascent up the international rankings, but also cements her status as one of the brightest talents in world squash.
“It feels great. Coming into the match, I had never played her before, so I did not really know what to expect. I have watched her play so many times and she is highly experienced on the PSA World Tour. I was just looking forward to seeing how I would match up against her. I did not start off well. The first game was 11-4, which was a pretty bad start. However, I wanted to find a way to make my way back into the match and put up a fight. Whether it resulted in a win or a loss, I did not want to let it go too easily,” Anahat said after securing a spot in the semifinal.
“I gave it my all in the second game and tried to make it one-all. We kept winning games alternately, so it was quite a roller coaster. I am happy I got through it,” she added.
When asked about her performance and mindset, the 18-year-old said: “It feels amazing. I played in London, which was perhaps my first or second Gold event, and I reached the quarter-finals there. I knew coming into this event that I had a good shot. Especially after winning yesterday, I know that if I am playing well, I have a chance against whoever I play.”
“I wanted to come in with that mindset. I was a bit tired coming into the match, perhaps because of the emotions after winning yesterday. I did not want to lose momentum today and wanted to give it my all. I am happy that I was able to get one step further in the tournament,” she further added.
Earlier, Anahat pulled off one of the most stunning wins of her career, defeating eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini of Egypt to march into the quarterfinals of the tournament. Anahat, who recently had success in the recently concluded Asian Games, beat the eight-time world champion clean by 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7), with the match lasting just 30 minutes.
