The Daly College SRFI Indian Open came to a dramatic close in Indore, as teenage sensations Mohamad Zakaria and Anahat Singh captured the men’s and women’s titles with performances that showcased the future of world squash.
Set against the striking, colour-lit façade of Daly College’s historic main building, finals day delivered two all-national showdowns: an all-Egyptian men’s clash between Zakaria and Youssef Soliman, and a thrilling India-versus-India battle as Singh faced veteran champion Joshna Chinappa.
In the women’s final, 17-year-old Singh produced one of the most memorable wins of her young career. Fresh off a five-game semifinal, she again went the distance against 39-year-old Chinappa, a former world No.10 and multiple-time national champion. Singh took the opening game 11–8 but failed to convert three game balls in the second, allowing Chinappa to steal it 13–11 and level the match.
Both players traded momentum in a contest filled with precision hitting and relentless retrieval. Singh edged the third 11–9, only for Chinappa to storm through the fourth in just seven minutes, forcing a decider. With the packed Indore crowd roaring for both competitors, the fifth game swung repeatedly until Singh finally closed it out on her third match ball. The win marks her 13th PSA title in just 20 events, and follows her impressive victory over Tinne Gilis in Canada earlier in the month.
Attention then shifted to the men’s Bronze-level final, where Zakaria and Soliman — separated by only one place in the world rankings — were expected to deliver a tight contest. Instead, the match took a dramatic turn. Zakaria dominated the opener 11–3 with a run of ten straight points, but Soliman responded strongly to take the second 11–6. Early in the third, however, Soliman slipped and suffered a leg injury, forcing him to retire after attempting to continue.
Zakaria, claiming his first PSA Bronze title, acknowledged the bittersweet finish: “It’s not the way I wanted to win, but it was a solid week for me. Coming into the final without dropping a game gave me confidence, and I’m glad to lift the trophy.”
The results capped an exciting week of squash in Indore, underlining the emergence of a new generation of stars while paying tribute to the enduring excellence of seasoned champions
