History beckons! Anahat Singh becomes first Indian in 21 years to reach World Junior Squash Championships final
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "History beckons! Anahat Singh becomes first Indian in 21 years to reach World Junior Squash Championships final")
Anahat Singh in action Photograph: (JSW)
Anahat Singh reaches the World Junior Squash Championships final, becoming the first Indian in 21 years to do so and moving one win from scripting history
India's teenage squash star Anahat Singh is just one victory away from creating history after becoming the first Indian in 21 years to reach the final of the World Junior Squash Championships. The 18-year-old defeated Egypt's Barb Sameh 11-3, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 in the semifinal at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, to book her place in the championship match. Top seed Anahat has lived up to expectations throughout the tournament with a series of commanding performances. Her latest win ended India's long wait for a finalist at the prestigious event since Joshna Chinappa finished runner-up in 2005. She now has the opportunity to become the first Indian ever to win the World Junior Squash Championships.
Standing between Anahat and the title is second seed Ruqayya Salem of Egypt, a nation that has dominated world squash for years. Victory in the final would see the Indian teenager surpass Joshna Chinappa's runner-up finish and carve her name into the sport's history books. Anahat started strongly against Sameh, racing through the opening game before the Egyptian fought back to level the contest by claiming the second. The Indian, however, responded brilliantly, regaining control with her sharp movement, accurate shot-making and aggressive attacking play to comfortably win the final two games and secure her place in the title clash.
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Following the victory, Anahat reflected on reaching her maiden World Junior final after previous quarterfinal and semifinal exits.
“I’m really happy. 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,” Singh said. “I didn’t play my best yesterday, and I knew I had to come out today and show what I can do on 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’s not over yet.”
Anahat has enjoyed a rapid rise in world squash over the past few seasons. Currently ranked world no. 20 on the PSA Tour, she has already clinched multiple PSA titles and won medals at major continental events despite still being a teenager. After claiming bronze at last year's World Junior Championships, she has returned this year with the opportunity to complete a historic title-winning campaign.
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