Sanya Vats Falls Short in Ballarat Open Squash Final, Finishes Runner-Up

India’s Sanya Vats put together an impressive campaign at the Ballarat Open squash tournament in Australia before finishing runner-up after losing to home favourite Sarah Cardwell in the women’s final on Sunday.

The second-seeded Vats was unable to overcome top seed Cardwell, going down 6-11, 8-11, 6-11 in the title clash at the USD 3,000 PSA Challenger event in Victoria.

Despite the straight-games defeat, the tournament marked a strong run for the Delhi-based player, who showed resilience through the earlier rounds to reach the final.

Vats began her knockout campaign with a hard-fought quarterfinal victory over South Korea’s Sunghee Oh. After dropping the opening game 6-11, the Indian fought back strongly to win the next three games 11-9, 12-10, 11-4 and seal her place in the last four.

She then produced a more commanding performance in the semifinal against another South Korean opponent, Ain Jun. Vats controlled the contest from the start, winning 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 to book her place in the championship match.

The final, however, proved a different challenge against Cardwell, who had the advantage of playing on home soil. The Australian top seed maintained control across all three games and eventually wrapped up the match in straight games.

For Vats, the runner-up finish provides a valuable boost on the PSA Challenger circuit and adds another notable result to her growing competitive record.

The Indian will now look to build on her Ballarat performance as she continues her campaign on the international squash circuit.