NAGOYA: “Maybe I got too happy (after) winning (vs World No 6 Satomi Watanabe) yesterday (Saturday),” Anahat Singh said after losing to Sivasangari Subramaniam in the women’s singles’ final in Asian Games. Those words of hers could not be more heartbreaking, as she had to overcome a higher-ranked opponent who had the home support behind her to enter the summit clash. After a mind-boggling comeback win, Anahat, 18, knew that her task was cut out against 27-year-old Sivasangari, who is in the form of her life.
From the word go, the Malaysian dictated the pace and did not give Anahat a sniff of the match. The World No 5 rushed to 9-3 ahead in the opening game, with Anahat struggling to find her position in the court. The second game followed the same script with Sivasangari keeping it tight and forcing errors from her Indian opponent.
Notably the scoreline after two games – 4-11, 4-11 – was the same one from London earlier this month, when the Malaysian beat Anahat in the quarterfinals of the London Squash classic — A PSA gold level event. Then in the third game, Sivasangari ensured that she built the gap but Anahat put up a fight to eventually lose 7-11. “There is still a lot for me to improve on and there is still a huge gap. Not everyone realizes, but even (World) number 5 and number 6 is a huge difference,” Anahat added.
The teenager also talked about the pressure she felt during the summit clash. “You may not be able to always tell, but when you are inside the court, you really feel the pressure. There was not much for me to do,” she added.
Anahat believes she will only get better from here if she plays top opponents in top level competitions like the PSA tour. “I am just going to slowly understand playing with players like this. I have not really had a chance to play against people in the top five that much. This is maybe my third or fourth match against someone who is at the top of their game,” she said.
A gold at the continental meet could have helped Anahat qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Notwithstanding the loss, she still can make it to the event by winning qualifiers scheduled in June 2028 or remain in the top eight of the World Rankings.
Abhay loses to Eain
Just before Anahat’s loss, Abhay Singh too lost in the final against the 2022 Asian Games gold medallist Eain Yow Ng of Malaysia. Playing his eighth game against the 28-year-old World No 18, Abhay, ranked No 26, initially kept Eain on his toes. He even got the backing from the crowd, but Eain used his experience and kept his cool to edge ahead. The Malaysian eventually won 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to defend the title he won three years ago.