ONTARIO — Top-seeded Indian squash sensation Anahat Singh scripted history on Friday, becoming the first player from the country in over two decades to reach the final of the World Junior Squash Championship.
The 18-year-old World No. 20 delivered a dominant performance in the semifinals, overpowering Egypt's 3/4 seed Barb Sameh in four games—11-3, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6—to set up a gold-medal clash.
With this victory, Anahat becomes only the second Indian woman ever to reach the summit clash at the prestigious tournament, repeating a feat last achieved by veteran star Joshna Chinappa back in 2005.
Overcoming Past Hurdles
Anahat, who earned a bronze medal as a semifinalist in last year's edition, entered court in Ontario determined to break her semifinal jinx.
Having previously faced Barb Sameh at the British Junior Open in a tightly contested affair, the Delhi teenager adjusted her strategy early, using precision drives and relentless court coverage to dictate the tempo of the match. After dropping a tight second game, she quickly regained control of the glass court, racing through the final two sets to secure the win.
"I'm really happy," Anahat said after her milestone victory. "I played Barb a few months ago at the British Junior Open, and it was a close match like this, so I knew I'd have to play really well."
"I didn't play my best yesterday, and I knew I had to come out today and show what I'm capable of producing on the court. I've played in four World Juniors and lost in the quarters and semis, so reaching the final has made my parents and coaches really happy—but the tournament is not done yet."
One Step From Gold
Anahat now stands just one victory away from becoming India's first-ever World Junior squash champion.
To claim the historic world title, the top-seeded Indian will face Egyptian second seed Ruqayya Salem in the final, setting up a marquee battle between the tournament's top two ranked junior players.
