3 min readMumbaiMar 22, 2026 12:11 AM IST
Anahat Singh produced a composed performance to defeat Tanvi Khanna and book her place in the final of the Indian Open, where she will take on Egypt’s Hana Moataz. The men’s title clash, meanwhile, will be an all-Indian affair, with Asian Games gold medallist Abhay Singh taking on Veer Chotrani.
Anahat faced moments of anxiety when she dropped a game and trailed in the third game against her compatriot. However, she recovered to beat Tanvi 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-2 in 34 minutes to enter Sunday’s final.
Anahat has been on a steady rise over the past few months, building momentum with consistent performances on the junior and senior circuits. Saurav Ghosal, the former India number 1 who has spoken highly of Anahat’s ‘near-complete game’, hailed her improved shot selection, court coverage, and growing composure under pressure. “We genuinely don’t believe that this is the ceiling. I think there’s a lot more to go,” Ghosal said.
Anahat has shown some of these traits at this year’s Indian Open. She has looked particularly dominant, progressing through the rounds with relative ease and conserving energy, rarely being pushed into extended battles — a factor that could prove crucial in the final.
She will take on second-seeded Hana Moataz, who shook off a slow start to outclass her third-seeded compatriot Nadien Elhammamy 3-1 (11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7) in the other semifinal.
The opening game was a tightly contested affair, with both players trading points before Moataz edged ahead 11-8. Nadien responded strongly in the second, breaking away midway to take it 11-5 and level the match. Moataz, however, raised her intensity in the third, dominating to win 11-5, and carried that momentum into the fourth. Despite a brief fightback from Nadien, she held firm to close it out 11-7 and seal her spot in the final.
In the men’s semi-final, Abhay Singh overcame a stiff challenge from Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8).
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Chandaran matched Abhay for much of the contest, with both players engaging in an intense exchange of powerful forehands and clever angles. Abhay surged to a 9-4 lead in the first game, but Chandaran fought back with five straight points before the Indian held his nerve to take it 11-9. The second game remained evenly poised, with Chandaran stepping up late to clinch it 11-9.
Abhay responded emphatically in the third, cruising to an 11-3 win. The fourth game tested his resolve as he trailed 2-6 early on, but he rallied to level at 7-7 and eventually closed out the match 11-8 to secure his place in the final.
He’ll take on Chotrani, who defeated Malaysia’s Sanjay Jeeva 3-1 (11-7, 11-5, 5-11, 11-6).
