India’s Anahat Singh, 18, reaches first-ever PSA Gold semifinal at Silicon Valley Open, beats Salma Hany 3-2 after stunning 8-time world champion Nour ElSherbini.
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Anahat Singh reaches first PSA gold semifinal (Photo: X)
India’s squash star Anahat Singh continued her impressive run at the Silicon Valley Open by reaching her first-ever PSA Gold-level semifinalThe 18-year-old defeated Egyptian sixth seed Salma Hany in a five-game battle in the quarterfinals, adding another major win to her growing career.
World No15 Anahat came from behind to beat world No14 Hany 4-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-2, 11-5 in 42 minutesThe victory came a day after she stunned Egyptian world No3 and eight-time world champion Nour ElSherbini in straight games.
Anahat Singh fights back to reach semifinals
Anahat faced a tough challenge against Hany, losing the first game before levelling the contestThe Indian then fell behind again, trailing 2-1 in games, but produced a strong response in the final two games.
She dominated the fourth game 11-2 and carried that momentum into the decider, winning it 11-5 to seal her place in the last four.
Speaking after the match, Anahat said she had never faced Hany before and was unsure what to expect against the experienced Egyptian.
“I’ve never played her before, and I didn’t know what to expect coming on to the courtI have watched her play so many times, and she is so experienced on the PSA Tour,” she said.
The Indian also explained how her win over ElSherbini helped her approach the quarterfinal with confidence.
“Especially after winning yesterday (against ElSherbini), I know that If I’m playing well I had a chance against whoever I playedI wanted to come in with that mindset,” said Anahat, who is the reigning world junior champion.
Indian teenager pushes through fatigue
Anahat admitted that the emotions of her previous day’s victory had left her feeling tired, but she was determined to maintain her form and progress further in the tournament.
“I was a bit tired coming into the match because of the emotions after winning yesterdayI just didn’t want to let go of the momentum today, I wanted to give it my all and I’m happy to get one step further in the tournament,” added the Delhi player.
Anahat to face Asian Games champion next
Anahat will next take on Malaysian world No4 Sivasangari Subramaniam, the reigning Asian Games championSubramaniam defeated Anahat in the women’s singles final at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where the Indian won silver.
That silver made Anahat the first Indian woman to reach an Asian Games squash singles finalShe had earlier won two bronze medals at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, in the women’s team and mixed doubles events.
World Junior Champion makes more history
Earlier in 2026, Anahat won the girls’ singles title at the World Junior Squash Championships, becoming the first Indian to claim the crown and ending Egypt’s 15-year run of dominance in the event.
Her run at the Silicon Valley Open now gives her another opportunity to test herself against the world’s leading players as she continues to make her mark on the international squash circuit.
