British Open 2025: Anahat Singh's spirited run ends in second round

India’s teenage squash sensation Anahat Singh saw her impressive run at the 2025 British Open come to an end in the second round, after a hard-fought 3-1 loss to world No. 9 Sivasangari Subramaniam of Malaysia.

Anahat, just 17 years old and already a familiar name after debuting at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at age 14, had battled through three intense qualifying rounds to make it to the main draw. She then notched a confident win in her first-round match against Scotland’s Lisa Aitken, winning 11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 11-3 in 22 minutes.

In the second round, Anahat put up a brave fight. Sivasangari edged the opening game in a tense tie-break, but Anahat struck back with an impressive 11-9 win in the second. The Malaysian, however, used her experience to regain control, taking the next two games 11-8 and 11-7 to close out the match.

While the result didn't go in her favor, Anahat’s strong showing throughout the tournament underlined her status as one of the rising stars in world squash.

Abhay Singh edged out

Meanwhile, Abhay Singh also bowed out of the 2025 British Open after a marathon second-round clash against Egypt’s Moustafa Elsirty, lasting a grueling 73 minutes.

Abhay had earlier impressed with a solid victory in his first-round match against Timothy Brownell of the USA, winning 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 11-4 in 50 minutes.

Up against Elsirty – the only qualifier to reach the last 16 – Abhay pushed the Egyptian all the way in a tense five-game battle. Despite his relentless energy and aggressive play, Abhay narrowly missed out as Elsirty held firm in the decider to take the win by score 11-5, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8.

Though the loss was a tough one, Abhay's performance against a highly competitive opponent reflected his continued rise in the international squash circuit and promise for the future.