Anahat Singh’s stellar season rolls on with seventh PSA Challenger title at NSW Open 2024
The Indian squash player won her second title in a week after defeating Hong Kong China’s Helen Tang 3-1 in the final to bag the women’s singles crown in Sydney.
Squash
India’s Anahat Singh secured her seventh PSA Challenger title of the year after winning the women’s singles event at the NSW Open 2024 squash tournament in Sydney, Australia on Sunday.
The Indian squash player, 16 and seeded second in the tournament, took on an unseeded 15-year-old Helen Tang of Hong Kong China in the final and won the contest 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-4) after going down in the first game.
In the semi-finals, Anahat beat Hong Kong China's eighth seed Wong Po Yui Kirstie 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8) after getting the better of seventh seed Akari Midorikawa of Japan 3-1 (9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7) in the quarter-finals.
Anahat Singh blanked wildcard entrant Kurumi Takahashi of Japan in the second round after receiving a bye in the first round courtesy of her higher seeding at the squash tournament.
India’s Urwashi Joshi, seeded fourth, also received a bye in the first round but suffered an upset against the unseeded Dong Ju Song of the Republic of Korea in the second round, losing 3-1 (12-10, 4-11, 5-11, 9-11).
The title in Sydney extends Anahat Singh’s remarkable run this season, one that saw her break into the world’s top 100 for the first time following her victory at the Costa North Coast Open in Coffs Harbour last week.
Anahat, who won bronze medals in the women’s team and mixed doubles event at last year’s Asian Games, started her year by winning the JSW Willingdon Little Masters and Senior Tournament in January.
She then claimed HCL Squash Tour titles at the Hamdard Squashters Northern Slam PSA Challenger squash tournament in April and the Chennai leg in June.
In August, Anahat defended her national title before winning the Reliance PSA Challenge 3 in Sri Lanka and the Kolkata leg of the HCL Squash Tour.