‘Thought of the Olympic spot pushed me’: Anahat Singh on comeback win against World no 6

Indian squash sensation Anahat Singh faced a challenging battle against World no 6 Satomi Watanabe during the women's semifinals at the Asian Games. Down 0-2 in the match, Anahat fought back by saving three match points and ultimately secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory, advancing to the final. This marks the first time an Indian squash player has entered a singles final at the Asian Games, with Dipika Pallikal being the only other Indian woman to win a singles medal at this prestigious event.

The final games of the semifinal proved to be the most grueling, with Anahat barely managing to hold onto her lead, winning 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, and 11-3. After the third game, Anahat conceded only nine points while winning 22 points in return, according to her post-match interview. She attributed her mental fortitude to the thought of losing the Olympic qualification spot, which served as the driving force behind her performance.

Asian Games offers one Olympic quota to the singles champion in both genders, and Anahat will be vying for that opportunity in the final tomorrow. Watanabe, a top-ranked player and a favorite in her home country, dominated the first two games, leaving Anahat struggling to keep up. Despite the early setback, Anahat remained composed and followed her coaches' advice to stay focused on her strengths, ultimately winning the second game closely.

Anahat describes this win as her best career achievement, as she has never defeated a player ranked as high as Watanabe, who is currently the world's sixth-ranked squash player. The closely contested final game further solidified Anahat's belief that anything is possible at a high-stakes event like the Asian Games. She is set to face top seed Sivasangari Subramaniam of Malaysia in the final, a formidable opponent she is eager to face and hopes to replicate her recent success against Watanabe.