Anahat Singh advances to the semifinal of Silicon Valley Open after historic win

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Indian squash player and Asian Games medalist Anahat Singh scripted another major milestone on Friday by marching into the semifinals of the Silicon Valley Open. The rising star edged out Egypt’s world number 14 Salma Hany in a thrilling five-game quarterfinal battle, winning 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 11-5) after 42 minutes of intense action.

This landmark victory makes Anahat the first Indian female squash player to reach a PSA Tour Gold-level event semifinal since 2019, and marks her debut in the final four of a tournament in this tier.

Confirming her quarterfinal triumph on X, the official PSA Squash Tour page posted: “Result: @SVOpenSquash 2026 Women’s QF @Anahat_Singh13 beats [6] Salma Hany   3-2: 4-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 11-5 (42m).”

Reflecting on her hard-fought victory in a video shared by the PSA Squash Tour, Anahat Singh stated.

“I think it is great coming into the match. I’ve never played her before, so I didn’t really know what to expect stepping onto the court. I have watched her play so many times and, um, she’s so experienced on the PSA tour. And yeah, I mean, I was honestly just looking forward to seeing, you know, how I would match up against her. And I did not start off too well. ” Anahat said.

“The first game was, I think, 11-4, so it was a pretty bad start. But, you know, I just wanted to find a way for me to make my way back into the match and give it a fight, whether, um, you know, like I said, whether it is a win or a loss, I did not want to let it go too easily. So, yeah, I just gave it my all in the second game and, um, tried to, you know, make it 1-all,” he added.

Anahat Singh secures historic win

Anahat Singh’s sensational run in the tournament included one of the biggest victories of her career on Thursday, when she stunned eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini of Egypt in straight games, 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7), in just 30 minutes.

This performance follows her successful showing at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she became the first Indian woman to win a singles squash silver medal, along with a bronze in the team event. Overall, the eight-member Indian squad returned from Aichi-Nagoya with five medals, including two silver and three bronze.

(With inputs from ANI)

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