In a significant upset at the Silicon Valley Open, Indian teenager Anahat Singh defeated eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini in the tournament's Round of 16. The match, held in Redwood City, California, saw the 18-year-old Indian claim a commanding victory in straight games, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7, against an opponent widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Going into the fixture, Anahat’s coach, Harinder Pal Sandhu, had expressed confidence in the youngster’s ability to compete against the Egyptian legend. This optimism was partly bolstered by El Sherbini’s recent inconsistent form, having lost four of her previous seven matches on the professional tour. For Anahat, the experience of sharing the court with a player she had long admired and studied was described as "unreal," marking a pinnacle moment in her rising career.
The match was largely one-sided, with Anahat demonstrating exceptional composure and shot-making ability. After trailing 5-6 in the opening game, she elevated her performance to secure the lead and eventually take the game. In the second game, the Indian player raced to a 9-1 advantage. Although El Sherbini attempted a rally, cutting the lead to a single point, Anahat maintained her focus to clinch the second game and double her lead.
Reflecting on her performance, Anahat noted that while she expected a challenging adjustment period, her tactical game plan proved effective from the outset. Throughout the third game, she played with disciplined consistency. At 9-7, she capitalized on a weak return from El Sherbini to force match balls, ultimately sealing the victory with an angular drop shot. Anahat admitted after the match that she had remained determined not to lose momentum, avoiding the lapses in concentration that had occurred in previous high-stakes team events.
This win serves as a major indicator of Anahat's trajectory as the squash community looks toward the sport's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Currently ranked 15th in the world, the teenager has been praised by Cyrus Poncha, secretary-general of the Squash Rackets Federation of India, for her "fearless attitude" and ability to handle the pressure of the professional stage without being intimidated by the occasion.
Poncha believes that Anahat is steadily progressing toward the global elite. "Looking towards LA, we could see her by then being a top-10 player and even going higher," he remarked. He also noted that her recent performances on the international stage are helping to generate greater visibility for squash within India, potentially encouraging more young athletes to take up the sport.
The victory follows a successful period for the young athlete, who earlier secured a historic silver medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after defeating the sixth-ranked Satomi Watanabe. By beating El Sherbini, Anahat has arguably surpassed that achievement in terms of competitive difficulty. She continues to train under the same guidance as her opponent, working with former world No. 1 Gregory Gaultier, a factor she credits for her recent development on the tour.
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