Singh downs Gilis as quarter-final lineups are settled
18-year-old Indian sensation Anahat Singh reached the quarter-finals of a PSA Squash Tour Gold-level event for the first time after she upset fourth seed Nele Gilis at Alexandra Palace.
Singh made history when she became the first Indian player to win the World Junior Championships in July. She has started the new PSA Squash Tour campaign by becoming the first Indian player since Joshna Chinappa in 2021 to reach the last eight of a Gold-level event after beating Gilis 13-11, 4-11, 11-8.
“She’s a great player,” said Singh afterwards.
“I played her a year and a half ago at the World Teams and that match really helped me get experience for the PSA circuit. It’s always been my dream to play in a venue like this, so it’s very exciting.
“I honestly don’t love it [the best of three format used during the tournament]. You can’t really prepare for it, but I had to be more focused than I would be in a best of five match. It’s great here [in London], I’ve been roaming the city a lot. I’ve seen this venue over the years on Instagram, so I’ve been really excited to play here.”
Singh will go up against Malaysia’s 2024 London Classic champion Sivasangari Subramaniam for a place in the semi-finals in a match which could act as a precursor to the Asian Games later this month, where the pair will compete to be the first players to qualify for squash’s debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Second seed Amina Orfi is also though after surviving a scare against home favourite Jasmine Hutton, who took the opening game, and she will take on Gilis’s younger sister Tinne in the next round.
In the men’s event, World No.21 Kareem El Torkey scored an eye-catching win against sixth seed Mohamed Abouelghar, winning 11-9, 11-9.
He will now appear in the third Gold-level quarter-final of his career.
“I was stressed the whole day, playing a match at 8pm isn’t that easy,” El Torkey said afterwards.
“You sit there the whole day worrying about what will happen. I tried not to think about it much and I’m happy I managed to get my mind off the match and do my thinking during the match. I’m not the kind of person who goes out in the middle of the tournament, I just grabbed something to eat and had a sleep to keep my mind off the match.”
England No.1 Marwan ElShorbagy awaits El Torkey in the last eight after he made short work of Jamaica’s Declan James, while second seed Victor Crouin and seventh seed Leonel Cardenas were also victorious with wins over Yannick Wilhelmi and Miguel Rodriguez.
The quarter-finals of the London Squash Classic take place on Friday, with the action getting under way from 13:00 (GMT+1) at Alexandra Palace. All matches will be streamed live on SQUASHTV.
Men’s Second Round (Bottom Half):
[3] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Declan James (JAM) 2-0: 11-1, 11-8 (29m)
Kareem El Torkey (EGY) bt [6] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 2-0: 11-9, 11-9 (38m)
[7] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) bt Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 2-0: 11-7, 11-6 (28m)
[2] Victor Crouin (FRA) bt Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 2-0: 11-2, 11-2 (21m)
Women’s Second Round (Bottom Half):
[3] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt Nardine Garas (EGY) 2-0: 11-5, 11-5 (17m)
Anahat Singh (IND) bt [8] Nele Gilis (BEL) 2-1: 13-11, 4-11, 11-8 (39m)
[6] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Sin Yuk Chan (HKG) 2-0: 11-4, 11-6 (17m)
[2] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 2-1: 6-11, 11-6, 11-7 (48m)
For updates on the London Classic, visit the event website or follow the PSA on X,Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, WhatsApp and LinkedIn.
