Anahat Singh Shocks World No. 7 Tinne Gilis to Enter Canadian Open Semifinals

Toronto — India’s rising squash star and reigning national champion Anahat Singh produced the biggest win of her career at the Canadian Open, storming into the semifinals of the USD 96,250 PSA Silver event with a stunning straight-game victory over world No. 7 Tinne Gilis of Belgium.

The 16-year-old from Delhi, who had earlier notched her first-ever win against a top-20 ranked player by defeating Melissa Alves, continued her dream run with a 12-10, 11-9, 11-9 triumph in just 36 minutes.

“I’m really excited. She’s a top-10 player, and this is the first time I’ve beaten someone from that group,” Anahat told the PSA website. “I’ve been very happy with my form this week. My coaches told me that if I played the way I did yesterday, I’d have a chance against anyone.”

Speaking about her preparation, she added, “Before this event, I wasn’t in great form, but I trained for four days with Greg [Gaultier] during the US Open. That helped me regain focus and confidence. I just wanted to play my best squash—and it paid off.”

Anahat will next face England’s top player Gina Kennedy in the semifinals on Thursday. Kennedy advanced after defeating Canada’s No. 1 Hollie Naughton 3-1, ending local hopes in the tournament.

In other results, India’s Tanvi Khanna cruised into the next round of the PSA Challenger 12 Pierre & Vacance event in Andorra, beating Ireland’s Hannah McGugan 11-1, 11-3, 11-8 in her opening match.

With inputs from IANS