New Zealander Paul Coll: Indian squash star Anahat Singh crashed out of the Qatar Classic after going down fighting to Belgian World No. 9 Tinne Gilis in a five-game thriller in the women’s second round of the USD 242,000 PSA Platinum event here on Sunday.
Anahat, ranked No. 20 in the world and fresh from winning the world junior championship in July, produced another impressive display against a higher-ranked opponent but could not complete the comeback after taking a two-game lead.
Eighth-seeded Gilis made a strong start, taking the opening game 11-4. However, Anahat responded brilliantly, raising her intensity and winning the next two games 11-8, 11-9 to move within a game of securing a place in the quarterfinals.
The Belgian, who has reached a career-high ranking of No. 5, then used her experience to turn the contest around. Gilis levelled the match by taking the fourth game 11-4 before maintaining her momentum in the decider, winning it 11-3 to seal her place in the next round.
Despite the defeat, Anahat’s run in Doha marks another encouraging outing against established opposition as the 17-year-old continues to make her mark on the senior circuit.
The Indian had begun her Qatar Classic campaign on a strong note, defeating world No. 16 Farida Mohamed of Egypt 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7 in the opening round.
Anahat was part of a four-member Indian singles contingent at the tournament, alongside Abhay Singh, Veer Chotrani and Tanvi Khanna.
The Indian squash players will now turn their attention towards the Asian Games in Japan, where Anahat, Abhay, Chotrani and Tanvi will spearhead the country’s singles challenge.
Article Source: IANS
