Anahat Singh fights back to reach Semifinals

REDWOOD CITY Indian squash player Anahat Singh continued her impressive run at the Silicon Valley Open in the United States by defeating Egypt’s Salma Hany in a thrilling five-game quarterfinal on Friday. The 18-year-old secured a 3-2 victory to enter the semifinals after an earlier upset against world number three Nour El Sherbini. Anahat Makes Strong Comeback Anahat, who defeated El Sherbini on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals, faced another tough challenge against sixth-seeded Hany, ranked 14th in the world. The Indian started poorly, losing the opening game 4-11. However, she responded strongly in the second game, winning 11-8 to level the contest. Hany regained the lead by taking the third game 11-4, putting Anahat under pressure. The young Indian then produced an impressive comeback, dominating the fourth game 11-2 before sealing the match with an 11-5 victory in the fifth game. Her fighting performance helped her win the closely contested match 3-2. Speaking after the victory, Anahat said she had never played Hany before and was unsure what to expect. She acknowledged that the opening game was difficult but remained determined to fight until the end, regardless of the result. She described the contest as a roller-coaster and expressed happiness at reaching the semifinals. Tough Semifinal Challenge Ahead Anahat will next face Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam, the tournament’s third seed. Subramaniam recently defeated the Indian 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 in the Asian Games gold medal match at Aichi-Nagoya. Anahat, who won two medals at the Asian Games, will now have another opportunity to challenge the Malaysian player. Her victories over two experienced Egyptian opponents highlight her growing confidence and competitive spirit. With a semifinal place secured, Anahat will aim to continue her strong performance and overcome her recent setback against Subramaniam.