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Anahat Singh Exits London Squash Classic After Quarterfinal Loss

Sanjeev Kumar | September 5, 2026 3:22 PM CST

The promising career of Indian squash player Anahat Singh faced a setback as she was defeated by Malaysian third seed Sivasangari Subramaniam in the women's quarterfinals of the London Squash Classic.

The match concluded with a decisive score of 2-0.

The 18-year-old, who holds the 20th position in the world rankings and is the current world junior champion, found it challenging to assert her game against the fifth-ranked player globally. Sivasangari dominated the match, pushing Anahat to the back of the court and sealing the victory with scores of 11-4, 11-4 in a mere 17 minutes.

This defeat marked the end of Anahat's participation in the USD 144,000 PSA Gold event, following her impressive performance in the previous round where she triumphed over eighth-seeded Nele Gilis from Belgium in a tough three-game match.

Sivasangari, a former champion of the London Squash Classic, is set to face second-seeded Egyptian Amina Orfi in the semifinals. Orfi, the reigning world champion, is expected to provide a formidable challenge in this upcoming match.

For Anahat, this loss serves as a precursor to the challenges she will encounter at the Asian Games. Sivasangari, being the highest-ranked Asian player, is anticipated to be a significant competitor for Anahat in the upcoming continental event in Japan.

The Asian Games hold considerable importance, as the singles gold medalist will qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where squash will make its Olympic debut.

Before focusing entirely on the Asian Games, Anahat is scheduled to participate in the Qatar Classic starting September 12, continuing her preparations for the major event.

Sivasangari attributed her success to her strategic gameplay and ability to maintain high intensity throughout the match. She expressed satisfaction with her performance, acknowledging Anahat's talent and previous successes against top players.

"I'm pleased with how I played today; Anahat is a very skilled player. She has defeated several top competitors and posed challenges to many," the Malaysian stated in an interview with SquashTV.

"I focused on hitting with extra intensity towards the back corners. Anahat becomes very dangerous when given time, so I aimed to limit that. There are always nerves in these matches, especially with the best of three format, so I worked on building my confidence and was happy with my performance today."