Anahat stuns defending champ Gilis to reach semis

India’s teenage squash sensation Anahat Singh produced the performance of her young career, stunning defending champion and world No. 7 Tinne Gilis of Belgium to storm into the semifinals of the Canadian Women’s Open.

The 17-year-old from New Delhi, ranked 43rd in the world, defeated the second seed in straight games 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-9) in a fiercely contested 36-minute quarterfinal match on Tuesday night. The victory marked Anahat’s first-ever win over a top-10 player and easily the biggest milestone of her burgeoning professional career.

Anahat has been in remarkable form throughout the PSA Tour Silver event, having earlier toppled world No. 20 Melissa Alves of France in the pre-quarterfinals. Her fearless approach and sharp court movement have drawn widespread praise from the squash fraternity.

“I’m really excited. She’s a top-10 player and this is the first time I’ve beaten someone from that group,” Anahat said after her memorable triumph. “I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve been playing this week. My coaches told me that if I play the way I did yesterday, I have a chance against anyone. I just came in with the mentality to play my best squash and it paid off.”

The young Indian will now face another formidable opponent in the semifinals world No. 10 and fourth seed Gina Kennedy of England in what promises to be another major test of her growing confidence and composure.

Reflecting on her journey leading up to the tournament, Anahat admitted that expectations were low after a difficult spell in the weeks prior. “I wasn’t really playing too well before this event,” she revealed. “But Greg (Gaultier) was there during the US Open, and I trained with him for four days. I knew that if I worked hard and stayed focused, I had a chance here and I’m really happy it’s showing.”

With her breakthrough run in Toronto, Anahat has not only announced her arrival on the global stage but also signaled that Indian squash may have found its next big star.