Velavan Senthilkumar, Akanksha Salunkhe win Canberra PSA Challenger squash tournament

Velavan Senthilkumar and Akanksha Salunkhe won the men's and women's titles in the PSA Challenger squash tournament in Australia. Velavan beat Joseph White 11-8, 11-9, 2-11, 11-3, while Akanksha won a battle of wits against Tanvi Khanna 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11. Both had pulled through five matches with relative ease.

Top seeds Velavan Senthilkumar and Akanksha Salunkhe won the men’s and women’s titles in the PSA Challenger squash tournament in Canberra, Australia, on Sunday.

Velavan beat second seed Joseph White of Australia 11-8, 11-9, 2-11, 11-3. He did not drop a game in the earlier three rounds.

Akanksha had to sweat it out against last week’s champion and compatriot Tanvi Khanna 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11 in a battle of wits that lasted about an hour.

Both the Indian women had pulled through five matches between them in the earlier rounds with relative ease.

The results:

Men (final): Velavan Senthilkumar bt Joseph White (Aus) 11-8, 11-9, 2-11, 11-3; Semifinals: Velavan bt Elijah Thomas (Aus) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6; Quarterfinals: Velavan bt Suraj Kumar Chand 11-7, 13-11, 11-5; Pre-quarterfinals: Velavan bt Ryu Jeongmin (Kor) 11-7, 11-2, 11-7.

Women (final): Akanksha Salunkhe bt Tanvi Khanna 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11; Semifinals: Akanksha bt Alex Haydon (Aus) 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-3; Tanvi bt Sarah Cardwell 11-8, 11-4, 11-4; Quarterfinals: Akanksha bt Colette Sultana (Mlt) 11-2, 11-3, 11-1; Tanvi bt Erin Classen (Aus) 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5; Pre-quarterfinals: Tanvi bt Aiman Shahbaz (Pak) 11-2, 11-1, 11-6.