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Key Points

Anahat Singh battled through injury to secure a hard-fought semifinal win at the NSW Bega Open. The 17-year-old is now the first Indian woman to reach a PSA Copper-level final. She will face Egypt’s Habiba Hani in the summit clash. The victory further cements her status as one of India’s brightest squash talents.

Key Points: Anahat Singh Reaches NSW Bega Open Final After Thrilling Semifinal

  • Anahat Singh fights past Egypt’s Nour Khafagy in a 54-minute semifinal thriller
  • Becomes first Indian woman to reach a PSA Copper-level final
  • Faces Egypt’s Habiba Hani in the title match
  • Extends her rapid rise with 12 PSA titles in 18 events
2 min read

Anahat Singh enters NSW Bega Open final

Indian squash star Anahat Singh advances to the NSW Bega Open final, overcoming Egypt’s Nour Khafagy in a grueling 5-set semifinal.

Anahat Singh enters NSW Bega Open final
"Despite sustaining an injury, Anahat showed resilience to outlast Khafagy. – IANS"

Bega

, Aug 16 (IANS) Teenage Indian squash player Anahat Singh reached the final of the NSW Bega Open 2025 after a hard-fought win over Egypt’s Nour Khafagy in the semifinal on Saturday.

She will now look to add a 13th PSA title to her name when she faces Habiba Hani in the final.

The 17-year-old from Delhi, who is already a double Asian Games bronze medallist, won the gruelling contest 3-2 (10-12, 11-5, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7) in 54 minutes. Despite sustaining an injury during the match, Anahat showed resilience to outlast Khafagy, who came into the event after winning the HCL Tournament. With this win, Anahat became the first Indian woman to reach a PSA Copper-level final.

In the title match, the top seed will face second-seeded Egyptian Habiba Hani, who booked her place in the summit clash with a 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6) victory over India’s Akanksha Salunkhe in 42 minutes.

Earlier in the quarterfinals, Anahat defeated South Africa’s Hayley Ward 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 14-12) to continue her impressive run. She now has 12 PSA titles from 18 events, with nine of those victories coming in the past year, underlining her rapid rise in world squash.

Akanksha, seeded fifth, also impressed in the quarterfinal stage, beating fourth-seeded Australian Alexandra Haydon 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-3) in a match that lasted only 24 minutes. Her run ended in the semifinals, but she will take confidence from reaching the last four in a strong international field.

For Anahat, this is another significant achievement in a career that has been progressing quickly since she became the youngest member of India’s 2022 Commonwealth Games squad at the age of 14. Her consistency and ability to handle pressure at a young age have already made her one of the most promising players in Indian squash.

The NSW Bega Open, a USD 25,000 tournament, is the first World Event of the 2025/26 PSA Tour season.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Amazing to see Indian women excelling in squash! Both Anahat and Akanksha did well. But I wish media would give more coverage to squash - it's always cricket cricket cricket. Other sports deserve attention too!
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Aman W
From Commonwealth Games at 14 to now - Anahat's journey is inspiring! Hope she gets proper support from sports authorities. Remember how many talents we lose due to lack of funding? 🤞
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Sarah B
As someone new to following squash, I'm impressed by how competitive Indian players have become. That 54-minute semifinal must have been exhausting! The Egyptian players are always tough opponents.
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Karthik V
12 titles from 18 events is an incredible stat! At this rate, she might break Dipika Pallikal's records soon. But let's not put too much pressure on her - she's still so young.
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Nisha Z
The match against Habiba will be tough but winnable. Egyptian players have dominated women's squash for years - it's time for new champions! #GoAnahat

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