Anahat Singh placed her palm on her head and pulled her tongue out. Minutes ago, she had been on the verge of being eliminated from the Asian Games semi-final.
Satomi Watanabe, the world No. 6 Japanese player, had three match balls in the third game. Anahat, the world No.17 Indian, had little room for error left. Then came the opening at 10-10.
A stroke was awarded to Anahat. Suddenly, Anahat had a match ball. She took it and let out an emotional roar.
She roared away in the next two games, turning the tide spectacularly in a semi-final that was almost lost. The Indian teen stepped out a 3-2 (9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3) winner. The brilliant fightback and commendable victory on Saturday landed her in uncharted territory, putting her within sight of an early spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 18-year-old is the first Indian female squash player ever to make the singles final at an Asian Games. Add Abhay Singh, who beat Pakistan’s Irfan Muhammad 3-0 (11-3, 12-10, 11-6) in his men’s singles semi-final, and there will be two Indian pros in Sunday’s finals. Indian squash has never had that at the Asian Games, or a gold medal in singles.
There’s more than just a gold riding on this final, though. The winners will be the first couple of players to secure an Olympic berth in squash, which will debut at the 2028 Games.
The biggest challenge for the junior world champion teen in the quest of having a shot at that would come on Saturday.
Satomi, the 27-year-old Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist, is a vastly experienced player. In her only previous clash with Anahat, she eked out a close 3-2 win in the Sprott Tournament of Champions in January. The Indian teen, fairly new at the elite PSA level after her exceptional rise over the last year, can be a bit of an unknown for most top players in the first meetings.
Satomi knew what to expect from Anahat this time, and came out setting the tone. She was off to a fast 3-1 lead, which turned 6-4 before Anahat levelled up. With both fairly attacking players, the rallies were short and error-filled. More errors coming from the Indian meant despite saving two game balls, the Japanese was up and running.
Satomi was also up 6-3 and 9-6 in the second game, until Anahat came back to make it 9-10. A clash of shoulders and heads between the players left Anahat bleeding. When they returned, back-to-back strokes followed by a brilliant touch by Satomi gave her the game.
Satomi continued to play solidly. Anahat continued to leak errors. Satomi found more than one opportunity to shut the door. Anahat found one opening, and barged in.
Barged in and how. For the first time in the first half of a game, the Indian was in the lead at 5-4. Not for too long. The Japanese made it 6-5 to get in the lead. Not for too long. And never again.
The teen upped her game, playing every bit like the prodigious talent she is. Anahat attacked the front corner of the wall with silky smooth touches and produced a wave of winners with the kind of variety in her game that makes her so dangerous.
The Indian won six straight points in that game, and with the momentum behind her and her father rallying with shouts of “Anahat, Anahat” from the stands, flew in the decider.
Anahat came up with brilliant lobs, perfect volleys and sublime movement. It left Satomi in a bit of a daze, bashing herself on the head with her racquet.
The racquet of Anahat was doing all the talking, and, moments later, walking into the final.
Bronze for Joshana-Velavan
Earlier, Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar lost a thriller to Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yi and Tang Ming Hong 1-2 (10-11, 11-2, 10-11) in the mixed doubles semi-final. It will be a bronze for India in the event that fetched gold in Hangzhou.
The experienced Indian pair lost the first game on golden ball, and also the third after having multiple match balls. Joshana and Velavan, in fact, thought they had won the match at 10-10 when a refereeing call overturned it.