On October 28, 2025, 17-year-old Anahat Singh stunned defending champion and second seed Tinne Gilis by winning the quarterfinals match of the Canadian Open squash in 36 minutes by sets of 12-10, 11-9, and 11-9. The victory marked the third-best by an Indian female player in eight years since over Annie Au. In addition to that, it is also her first-ever against a top-10 player like Gilis, who is currently at no. 7.
The reigning women’s national champion will continue her run at the tournament for the semi-finals match against fourth seed Briton Georgina Kennedy (ranked world no. 10) in the last-four stages.
Anahat is currently with a world ranking at no. 43. At the age of 17, her growth has been unprecedented, making her one of the big prospects in Indian squash. Her recent win against a top-ranked player will strengthen her resume for her professional career as she goes ahead.
Following the win, the Indian squash player, during an interview with the PSA website, talked about her game plan in the Canadian Open squash tournament and the preparations she underwent ahead of it.
She said, “I just came in with the mentality that I’m just coming in to play my best squash, and it paid off at the end. Coming into this event, I wouldn’t have been thinking that I would be here right now. no.
“I wasn’t really playing too well the week before this event was coming up, but Greg (Gaultier) was there during the U.S. Open, and I went and trained with him for four days. I knew that if I trained hard and I was focused, I had a chance coming into this event, and I’m really happy.”
Anahat Singh impresses at the Canada Open squash
Currently unseeded, Anahat’s performance in Toronto has been nothing short of brilliance. Before this, she secured her first-ever win against a top-20 player after defeating France’s Melissa Alves in the Round of 16. Alves is currently at no. 20 in the world rankings.
Her performance against second-seeded Gilis showed maturity, control, and fearless shot-making, which is difficult considering her age. She entered the match well settled and in a composed style to keep it up to par against her competitors. The opening game resulted in a tiebreak, but Anahat’s quick reflexes and under-pressure performance got the best out of her, putting her in the advantage with a win by 12-10.
The brilliance continued in the second game, but here her temperament was put to the test after Gilis took control of the game, ahead by 8-2. But Anahat made a stunning comeback in the game and scored nine points in the remaining time left. At the end of the second game she was leading by 11-9.
The third and final game was again a tough one with the stakes getting higher. But Singh managed to produce another terrific performance with confidence, sealing the game by 11-9.
(Inputs sourced from The Hindu & Indian Sports Hub)
