World Squash Championships: Veer Chotrani Stuns Abhay Singh to Reach Second Round

Giza - India’s Veer Chotrani produced a spirited comeback to defeat higher-ranked compatriot Abhay Singh in the opening round of the World Squash Championships in Giza.

Playing at the Palm Hills Club and PGC Golf Central Mall, world No. 45 Chotrani overcame world No. 22 Abhay Singh 14-12, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-2 in a thrilling five-game encounter. The victory marked Chotrani’s second win in three meetings against his fellow Indian.

The match began with a tense opening game, where Chotrani edged past Asian Games medallist Abhay Singh in a tie-break. However, Singh bounced back strongly, winning the next two games to take control of the contest. Just when it seemed the momentum had shifted completely, Chotrani showed remarkable resilience and fought back by claiming the final two games in dominant fashion.

Speaking after the win, Chotrani admitted that facing a fellow Indian in the opening round of the World Championships was difficult. He said it was unfortunate that one of them had to exit so early but expressed happiness at progressing to the next stage.

The Indian player also described the victory as a major confidence boost after weeks of hard work. Chotrani recalled his disappointing loss to Abhay Singh in a final held in India earlier and said this result made the comeback even more satisfying.

Chotrani will now face Egyptian world No. 1 Mostafa Asal in the second round on Sunday.

Meanwhile, fellow Indians Ramit Tandon and Velavan Senthilkumar are set to begin their campaigns in the 64-player draw. Tandon will take on Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey, while Senthilkumar faces French star Victor Crouin.

India is still searching for its first singles medal at the World Squash Championships. Last year in Chicago, the Indian challenge ended in the second round, with several players putting up competitive performances before bowing out.

With inputs from IANS