Indian Tour Squash Championship | Top-seeded Indians Akanksha, Anahat, and Joshna enter quarterfinals

Top-seeded Indians dominate second-round fixtures to advance to women's quarterfinals at SRFI Indian Tour Squash Championship.

Top-seeded Indians Akanksha Salunkhe, Anahat Singh, and Joshna Chinappa won their respective second-round fixtures to qualify for the women’s quarterfinals of the SRFI Indian Tour Squash Championship, a PSA Challenger event, at the Indian Squash and Triathlon Academy (ISTA) here on Tuesday.

Anahat blew away Egyptian Lojayn Gohary’s challenge, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2, in 20 minutes. The 17-year-old tended to go for her sidewall and drop shots to clinch points. It also helped that her opponent made some unforced errors.

Joshna, on the other hand, faced a stiff challenge from fellow Indian Tanvi Khanna. Joshna seemed to favour the low balls in a 50-minute battle that she won 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3.

The results (second round, Indians unless mentioned): Men: Karim El Hammamy (Egy) bt Rahul Baitha 12-10, 11-7, 11-7; Abdalla Hafez (Egy) bt Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (Mal) 6-11, 11-3, 11-3, 15-13; Melvil Scianimanico (Fra) bt Yusha Nafees 11-9, 11-7, 11-5; Diego Gobbi (Bra) bt Seif El-Shenawy (Egy) 11-8, 12-10, 11-5; Ravindu Laksiri (SL) bt Suraj Kumar Chand 11-6, 3-11, 11-8, 11-5; Tomo Endo (Jpn) bt Mohamed Nasser (Egy) 5-11, 13-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-8; Veer Chotrani (Ind) bt Maceo Levy (Fra) 12-10, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4; Brice Nicolas (Fra) bt Duncan Lee (Mal) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8.

Women: Akanksha Salunkhe bt Shameena Riaz 11-3, 11-8, 11-5; Nadien Elhammamy (Egy) bt Barb Sameh (Egy) 7-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-2; Joshna Chinappa bt Tanvi Khanna 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3; Sofia Mateos (Esp) bt Nadia Pfister (Sui) 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4; Anahat Singh bt Lojayn Gohary (Egy) 11-8, 11-4, 11-2; Cristina Gomez (Esp) bt Rathika Suthanthira Seelan 11-9, 14-12, 11-6; Hayley Ward (RSA) bt Tessa ter Sluis (Ned) 7-11, 5-11, 15-13, 11-5, 11-8; Malak Fathy (Egy) bt Jacqueline Peychar (Aut) 11-5, 11-1, 9-11, 11-7.