Hana Moataz, Abhay Singh Advance To Indian Open Squash Final
Hana Moataz and Abhay Singh rose to the occasion with commanding performances to storm into the finals of the Indian Open, registering hard-fought 3-1 victories in their respective semi-finals on Saturday.
According to a press release, second seed Hana Moataz shook off a slow start to outclass her third-seeded compatriot Nadien Elhammamy 3-1 (11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7).
The opening game was a closely fought see-saw battle, with the lead changing hands at regular intervals before Moataz edged ahead to take it 11-8. The second followed a similar pattern early on, but Nadien found momentum midway, breaking away at 7-5 and closing it out 11-5 to level the match.
Moataz, however, raised her intensity in the third game, dominating proceedings to win 11-5. She carried that momentum into the fourth, building a healthy lead before Nadien mounted a brief comeback, but Moataz held firm to seal the game 11-7 and wrap up the match.
In the men’s semi-final, Abhay Singh overcame a strong challenge from Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8).
The unseeded Chandaran matched Abhay for much of the contest, with both players trading powerful forehands and clever angles in an engaging battle. Abhay started strongly, racing to a 9-4 lead in the opening game, but Chandaran clawed his way back with five consecutive points to threaten an upset before the Indian held his nerve to take it 11-9.
The second game was evenly poised throughout. Trailing 8-9, Chandaran stepped up at the right moment, winning three straight points to claim the game 11-9 and draw level.
Abhay responded emphatically in the third, cruising to an 11-3 win. The fourth game proved to be another test, as he trailed 2-6 at one stage before fighting back to level at 7-7 and eventually closing out the match 11-8 to secure his place in the final. (ANI)
