Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) Indian stars Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh made a winning start on Day 2 of the Indian Open 2026, which delivered high-octane squash at the CCI, with a mix of dominant performances, stunning comebacks, and marathon five-game thrillers.

Indian stars rose to the occasion, delivering commanding performances in the competition being held at the Barbourne Stadium complex.

The standout clashes came from Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani and Mohamed Sharaf, both of whom emerged victorious in gripping five-game encounters. Elkabbani pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, defeating top seed Yahya Elnawasany 3-2 in a 66-minute battle. Additionally, Sharaf edged past Hong Kong’s Chi Him Wong in another pulsating five-setter.

India’s Abhay Singh produced a clinical performance to overcome Matthew Lai of Hong Kong. Despite a tight start, Abhay found his rhythm and dominated proceedings to secure a commanding 3-0 win. In the women’s draw,

Tanvi Khanna impressed with a composed and confident display against Egypt’s Nour Khafagy. While Khafagy pushed hard in each game, Khanna held her nerve in crucial moments to wrap up a 3-0 victory.

Top seed Anahat Singh also continued her strong run, registering a solid straight games win over Farida Walid of Egypt. Anahat maintained control throughout the match, blending precision and consistency to secure her place in the next round, winning the game 3-0.

Veer Chotrani stamped his authority early, racing ahead before an unfortunate retirement from Omlor cut the contest short. Joshna Chinappa showcased her class and big-match temperament, powering past a gritty Breanne Flynn in a hard-fought four-game clash. Despite a spirited effort, Velavan Senthilkumar pushed hard in each game but fell short against a composed Ameeshenraj Chandaran. Ramit Tandon showed glimpses of his quality but was edged out by Duncan Lee in a tightly contested straight-games encounter.

With the competition intensifying, Day 3 promises more high-quality matchups as players battle in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Results (Day 2):

Men’s Singles: Ameeshenraj Chandaran (MAS) bt. Velavan Senthilkumar (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-9; Duncan Lee (MAS) bt. Ramit Tandon (IND) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-9; Yassin Shohdy (EGY) bt. Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-6; Abhay Singh (IND) bt. Matthew Lai (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-6; Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) bt. Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 3-2: 4-11, 11-8, 12-10, 6-11, 11-9; Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) bt. Om Semwal (IND) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-2; Mohamed Sharaf (EGY) bt. Chi Him Wong (HKG) 3-2: 10-12, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6; Veer Chotrani (IND) bt. Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-0: 5-3 ret.

Women’s singles: Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) bt. Enora Villard (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 12-10, 11-8; Anahat Singh (IND) bt. Farida Walid (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-5; Tanvi Khanna (IND) bt. Nour Khafagy (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-9; Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt. Danielle Ray (CAN) 3-1: 11-3, 9-11, 11-4, 11-2; Hana Moataz (EGY) bt. Sofía Mateos (ESP) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-4; Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) bt. Elise Romba (FRA) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-4; Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt. Breanne Flynn (IRL) 3-1: 12-10, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9; Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) bt. Ambre Allinckx (SUI) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-7.

–IANS

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