An Anahat Singh boast – a shot of exquisite skill, that hits the sidewall of a squash court, then ricochets to the front wall, before trickling down like a hearty chortle, is something India needs to get accustomed to.
It was the 18-year-old’s second straight JSW Indian Open title, as she defeated Egyptian World No 29 Hana Moataz 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 at the court that got conjured at CCI. Playing against a taller, stomping opponent, Anahat conjured angles on squash’s cheekiest shot that put Moataz in all sorts of trouble. The first two games were wrapped up by the Indian in 6 minutes apiece, as Anahat quickly moved to the front court and casually scythed the racquet to unleash far too many variations for the Egyptian’s comfort.
The boast requires racquet control to zap the wall corners with finesse akin to carving out the grooves of a key to fit the lock. Anahat can strike angles with precision on both flanks, and she has a wicked low flick too – equivalent to net-dribble skills of badminton. The glass walls merely show the ball rolling down the floor at the end of the rally, but Anahat can play those boasts all day, to ensure those watching begin to start sighting the corner sorcery.
When the rallies got longer, and Moataz could keep Anahat bust at the back court, the Egyptian moved further up the T to gain ascendancy in the third. But the Indian could rattle off points with extreme ease in the fourth, to shut out the opponent, who had done well to make finals despite being unwell through the week.
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“I think I played well in the first two games; I went a bit off track in the third. I was excited that I was winning,” Anahat said. “But I spoke to my coach when he came to my corner in the middle of the game, and he told me to focus on getting a good start because it was important not to let it go to the fifth. I started the fourth well, and I’m glad I was able to get through it. I tell myself to focus because I lose focus quite easily, and if I lose two points in a row, I remind myself to stay motivated, focus on the next few points, and get back into the game,” she added.
Saurav Ghosal, who mentors Anahat, reckons she should be at Top 10 or thereabouts by the end of next season, because she has the capability to beat Top 10s. However Moataz showed that sheer physicality that helps some of the current top women’s singles players to crowd hitting positions, and get the muscular elbows jagging to give the impression of territoriality, can meddle with Anahat’s defensive poise – a massive factor in seniors.
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As things stand, she has her last tilt at the World Juniors at the end of July. No Indian woman has ever won the junior worlds squash title. The Asian Games will have World No 6 Malaysian Sivasangari Subramaniam and No 7 Japanese Satomi Watanabe in a very difficult shot at the gold medal — but the gold at Nagoya Asiad ensures Olympic qualification, so it’s worth aiming high for.
“She obviously can get a lot better,” Saurav says, adding that her game already has ingredients to catapult. “Physically she gets lots of balls back, she keeps adding variations which are difficult to deal with for her opponents. Her attacking composure is good, the defensive composure needs work,” he adds. The discipline to get clinical wins is still settling in, but that’s because her shot making means she plays high risk. “She needs to get better at playing at a high pace, and take the ball higher,” he says, predicting her to be a mainstay in Top 10s.
Anahat’s court movements can slither around formidably built opponents, and she really can swoop low for the defensive pickups. But Ghosal would prefer her striking the ball higher and buying herself some error-margins. Anahat has the silent aggression to not get pushed around, but Egyptian attacks typically see hard hits at a suffocating pace that Anahat will need to counter.
Abhay wins men’s title
India’s top men’s player Abhay Singh completed a 11-9, 11-8, 11-4 victory over compatriot Veer Chotrani to take the finals.
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The 27-year-old is back to his career high rank of No 26, and wrapped up the finals rather easily, improving upon his runner-up finish last year.
“Indian squash is very healthy right now with four men in the top 50. Obviously, the goal individually is the LA Olympics, but we all have a big year ahead and need to defend gold. As much as we’re competing against each other on tour, this year is also about coming together, pushing each other, and backing each other to win gold in Japan,” Singh said.
The Indian has made a bunch of pre-quarters at top squash events at Qatar and the US in the last 12 months, and will benefit from this title and the accompanying confidence.
“He’s maximizing his potential and has had some good wins on the road over the last 4-6 months” Ghosal said. “He’s always had natural ability but has matured now. He was strong enough mentally but now is disciplined about when to attack,” Ghosal added.
