Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) India’s Om Semwal came up with a fine performance to win a five-game thriller in the men’s section while Tanvi Khanna won her match in straight games in women’s section on a mixed day for the hosts in the Indian Open 2026 squash championship that burst into action with high drama on Day 1 at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) courts at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

On an action-packed opening day headlined by a series of closely fought encounters, Om Semwal defeated Sebastian Salazar 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 19-17) while Tanvi Khanna beat Maya Weishar 3-0 (15-13, 12-10, 7-11, 11-4).

The hosts suffered some setbacks too, with top male player Suraj Kumar Chand, Unnati Tripathi, and Nirupama Dubey stumbling on the first day.

Semwal delivered the standout performance of the day in a nail-biting five-game thriller against Sebastian Salazar from Mexico. In a match that swung both ways, Semwal held his nerve in the decisive moments to clinch a hard-fought 3-2 victory. Equally compelling was Egypt’s Yassin Shohdy, who staged a remarkable comeback after losing the opening set 10-12. Showing resilience and composure, Shohdy edged a tight second game 13-11 against France’s Manuel Paquemar before taking control to close out the match 3-1, underlining his fighting spirit.

Another competitive fixture saw Switzerland’s Ambre Allinckx overcome the Netherlands’ Tessa ter Sluis 3-1, while Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani registered a solid 3-1 win against India’s Suraj Kumar Chand in a well-contested battle.

The rest of the day saw a series of dominant performances from top contenders. Hong Kong’s Chi Him Wong cruised past Ayaan Vaziralli 3-0, while Sofia Mateos secured a convincing straight-game win over Shameena Riaz. Matthew Lai and Danielle Ray were equally clinical, both registering comfortable 3-0 victories in their respective matches to kick off their campaigns in style.

The excitement continues to build as Day 2 promises another thrilling line-up, with Indian stars Veer Chotrani, Joshna Chinappa, Anahat Singh, Abhay Singh, and Ramit Tandon set to begin their campaigns, much to the anticipation of the home crowd.

Results (Day 1):

Sehveetrraa Kumar bt Unnati Tripathi 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-4); Farida Walid beat Nirupama Dubey 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-4); Yassin Shohdy bt Manuel Paquemar 3-0 (10-12, 13-11, 11-5, 11-7); Matthew Lai bt

Mohammad Syafiq Kamal 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-8), Tanvi Khanna bt Maya Weishar 3-0 (15-13, 12-10, 7-11, 11-4); Danielle Ray bt Rathika Suthanthira Seelan 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-5); Om Semwal bt Sebastian Salazar 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 19-17); Ibrahim Elkabbani bt Suraj Kumar Chand 3-1 (12-14, 11-4, 11-1, 11-6); Elise Romba bt Risa Sugimoto 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-8); Sofía Mateos bt

Shameena Riaz 3-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-4); Yannik Omlor bt Yash Fadte 3-0 (13-11, 11-9, 12-10); Chi Him Wong bt Ayaan Vaziralli 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-3); Ambre Allinckx bt Tessa ter Sluis 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6); Breanne Flynn bt Lea Barbeau 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 14-12); Ravindu Laksiri bt Duncan Lee 3-1 (9-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-5); Ameeshenraj Chandaran bt Naoki Hayashi 3-1 (8-11, 13-11, 11-4, 11-9).

–IANS

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