World No. 31 Anahat Singh of India had made her entry into the pre-quarterfinals of the Tournament of Champions 2026. The PSA World Tour Platinum event saw the Indian youngster defeat England’s Lucy Turmel in four games by sets of 11-3, 11-6, 9-11, 13-11 in a 43-minute battle.
With the win, Anahat will next face World No. 7 Satomi Watanabe of Japan, which is expected to be a high-profile Round of 16 match. Anahat is the youngest squash player from India to make it to the top 40 in the PSA World Rankings.
In the first game, Anahat looked in control, using her speed and clean strikes to force her English opponent into the deep by taking full dominance and dictating the match. Her drop shots and forehand drive kept an edge over Turmel, who struggled to get past the Indian star and lost the set by 3-11.
Meanwhile, the second game saw a similar performance as Anahat’s skills and relentless movement outshone Turmel. From playing smart shots and mixing length with sudden short balls, Anahat gave her opponent no chance to score much. But Turmel somehow managed to bring in scores better than the first set and finished at 6-11.
Ranked one place below Anahat, Turmel made a strong comeback in the third set and put up a strong fight against the Indian player. Despite a few unforced errors, the English player was in control and went on to win the set by 11-9. Anahat struggled to create chances for herself that led her to fight for the win in the fourth set.
The fourth set was harder than expected, with both players in an intense physical action. Both players exchanged leads and went neck-to-neck throughout the game. As the game grew, Anahat tried her best to attack, while Turmel was consistent and used her skills to keep alive in the round. At one moment, the two were tied at 10-10.
In the meantime, Turmel gained the lead at 11-10, which put Anahat under pressure, but it was at that moment that she gained her momentum. The Indian added three points, taking control of the game, and went on to close it out at 13-11, earning her spot in the pre-quarterfinals by a 3-1 lead. Anahat’s mature gameplay got her a big win at the start of the season.
