Mumbai: Anahat Singh’s fine run in a big tournament was halted by an increasingly familiar foe once again.
Less than a month after Sivasangari Subramaniam ended Anahat’s audacious bid for an Asian Games gold and an early LA Olympics ticket, the Malaysian defeated the Indian teen 3-1 (5-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7) in the semi-finals of the PSA Silicon Valley Open.
Reaching her first PSA gold level last-four stage and registering her career’s biggest win against Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini, the tournament marked a key milestone for Anahat. But the world No.4 Malaysian proved again that at her current level, she remains a tough nut to crack for the world No.15 Indian at the moment.
This is the third time in two months that Sivasangari, 27, has beaten the 18-year-old. At the London Squash Classic quarter-finals last month, she brushed Anahat aside 11-4, 11-4. In the final of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, she was equally dominant in a 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 sweep. In California’s Redwood City, Anahat started much stronger and took the first game before Sivasangari cranked it up.
“Anahat has that edge”
Sivasangari’s game, compared to the Egyptians (Anahat beat three of them back-to-back in this tournament), remains a lot tougher for Anahat to crack.
“Anahat is someone who varies the play quite well, uses different angles, and gets quite a few balls back. Siva does the same in a lot of ways, and has had a longer time in doing it at the highest level. So, she has that edge,” Saurav Ghosal, India’s former top 10 pro and Anahat’s mentor, had told HT.
By taking a game off her at Silicon Valley, the reigning world junior champion showed that she is learning from those previous defeats.
“Anahat is very talented and so dangerous. She’s definitely amongst the top girls now, and she’s still so young,” said Sivasangari after her win.
This was a solid tournament for Anahat after her second-round exit at the Egyptian Open. Of the three Egyptians she beat, two were higher-ranked, including world No.3 and eight-time world champion Nour, and world No.14 Salma Hany. The Indian will next feature in the Canadian Women’s Open starting next week.