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Om Semwal Stuns in Epic 5-Game Upset at Indian Open Squash

Indian squash player Om Semwal, ranked 223rd, delivered a stunning opening-day upset by defeating world No. 109 Sebastian Salazar in a dramatic five-game match where he saved five match balls. In other key matches, Egypt's Yassin Shohdy fought back to beat France's Manuel Paquemar, and several players like Wong Chi Him secured straightforward victories. Top Indian stars such as Anahat Singh and Joshna Chinappa received byes and will begin their campaigns on Thursday. The tournament serves as a crucial event on the road to squash's Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

Key Points: Indian Open Squash: Om Semwal Upsets Sebastian Salazar

  • Om Semwal's epic 5-game upset
  • Yassin Shohdy's comeback victory
  • Top Indians get first-round byes
  • Tournament builds momentum for LA 2028 Olympics
3 min read

Indian Open Squash: Om Semwal delivers blockbuster upset to headline opening day

India's Om Semwal saved five match balls to defeat world No. 109 Sebastian Salazar in a dramatic five-game thriller on the opening day of the Indian Open 2026.

"Semwal saved five match balls during the contest before sealing one of the biggest wins of his career - Olympics.com"

Mumbai, March 18

India's Om Semwal produced a sensational upset on the opening day of the Indian Open 2026, defeating higher-ranked Mexican Sebastian Salazar in a gripping five-game encounter in Mumbai on Wednesday.

According to Olympics.com, the 22-year-old, ranked 223 in the world, showed remarkable composure under pressure to overcome world No. 109 Salazar 3-2 at the CCI Brabourne Stadium. Semwal saved five match balls during the contest before sealing one of the biggest wins of his career in a dramatic finish.

In another notable match, Egypt's Yassin Shohdy staged a strong comeback to defeat France's Manuel Paquemar 3-1. After dropping a closely fought opening game 10-12, Shohdy edged the second 13-11 and then took control to close out the match comfortably.

Switzerland's Ambre Allinckx also progressed with a 3-1 win over the Netherlands' Tessa ter Sluis, while Egypt's Ibrahim Elkabbani defeated India's Suraj Kumar Chand by the same margin.

Among the more one-sided contests, Hong Kong China's Wong Chi Him, Spain's Sofia Mateos, Matthew Lai and Danielle Ray all registered straight-game victories to advance with ease.

Several top Indian players are set to begin their campaigns on Thursday after receiving first-round byes. These include reigning women's champion Anahat Singh, Asian Games medallist Abhay Singh, along with Veer Chotrani, Joshna Chinappa and Ramit Tandon.

The tournament marks an important stop on the circuit as squash builds momentum ahead of its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, with several emerging and established players looking to make their mark.

Women's Round 1

* Breanne Flynn (IRL) bt. Lea Barbeau (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 14-12 (29m)

* Ambre Allinckx (SUI) bt. Tessa ter Sluis (NED) 3-1: 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (34m)

* Sofia Mateos (ESP) bt. Shameena Riaz (IND) 3-0: 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 (21m)

* Elise Romba (FRA) bt. Risa Sugimoto (JPN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 (19m)

* Danielle Ray (CAN) bt. Rathika Suthanthira Seelan (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (23m)

* Tanvi Khanna (IND) bt. Maya Weishar (GER) 3-1: 15-13, 12-10, 7-11, 11-4 (37m)

* Farida Walid (EGY) bt. Nirupama Dubey (IND) 3-0: 11-7, 11-3, 11-4 (19m)

* Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) bt. Unnati Tripathi (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-4 (18m)

Men's Round 1

* Chi Him Wong (HKG) bt. Ayaan Vaziralli (IND) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (27m)

* Yannik Omlor (GER) bt. Yash Fadte (IND) 3-0: 13-11, 11-9, 12-10 (48m)

* Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) bt. Suraj Kumar Chand (IND) 3-1: 12-14, 11-4, 11-1, 11-6 (48m)

* Om Semwal (IND) bt. Sebastian Salazar (MEX) 3-2: 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 19-17 (72m)

* Matthew Lai (HKG) bt. Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 (36m)

* Yassin Shohdy (EGY) bt. Manuel Paquemar (FRA) 3-1: 10-12, 13-11, 11-5, 11-7 (48m)

* Duncan Lee (MAS) bt. Ravindu Laksiri (SRI) 3-1: 9-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-5 (38m)

* Ameeshenraj Chandaran (MAS) bt. Naoki Hayashi (JPN) 3-1: 8-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-9 (54m).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Thrilling to read about such an epic five-game battle. The scoreline 19-17 in the fifth says it all. Squash is such an underrated sport in terms of athleticism and drama. Great coverage.
P
Priya S
While Om's win is fantastic, the overall results show our depth is still lacking. Too many Indian players lost in the first round itself, some quite easily. We need a stronger domestic circuit and better support for players outside the top 5.
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Vikram M
Good to see Tanvi Khanna getting a win for the women's side! And all eyes will be on Anahat Singh and Joshna Chinappa tomorrow. With squash in the 2028 Olympics, these tournaments are crucial. Jai Hind!
R
Rohit P
𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗱 performance from the youngster! Beating a higher-ranked opponent at the CCI in Mumbai, that's a memory for life. Hope the stadium had a good crowd to witness it. We should support our athletes more.
M
Michael C
Interesting mix of results. Egypt's players look very strong as usual. Om Semwal's win is the headline, but the tournament has only just begun. The real test will be in the later rounds against the seeded players.

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