Veer Chotrani defeated Ravindu Laksiri to reach the final of the SRFI Indian Tour Squash Championship in Chennai on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: R. Ravindran
On a day of sub-30 minute semifinals and straight-game wins, three Indians – Akanksha Salunkhe, Anahat Singh, and Veer Chotrani – made it to the finals of the SRFI Indian Tour Squash Championship at the Indian Squash and Triathlon Academy (ISTA) here on Thursday.
Like at the Western India Open in Mumbai in December, top-seed Akanksha and the 17-year-old Anahat will face off in the women’s final again on Friday. Chotrani will take on Frenchman Melvil Scianimanico in the men’s final.
After Akanksha ousted Joshna Chinappa 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 in 25 minutes, Anahat disposed off South African Hayley Ward 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 in the shortest match (17 min) of the tournament so far.
A striking aspect of Anahat’s game is her use of the sidewalls to good effect. She won two points by bouncing off strokes off the sidewall in the second game, and one point by spectacularly getting her sidewall stroke to low ball cross-court off the front wall in the third game.
Playing Sri Lankan Ravindu Laksiri in the last match of the day, Chotrani had to play catch-up only in the third game. Down 0-5, he rallied to win six of the following seven points to make it 6-all. It was 7-all, 8-all, 9-all, and 10-all from there before Chotrani secured two successive points and a final berth.
The results (semifinals): Men: Veer Chotrani bt Ravindu Laksiri (SL) 11-5, 11-7, 12-10; Melvil Scianimanico (Fra) bt Diego Gobbi (Bra) 11-7, 11-2, 11-7.
Women: Anahat Singh bt Hayley Ward (RSA) 11-6, 11-3, 11-4; Akanksha Salunkhe bt Joshna Chinappa 11-5, 11-7, 11-7.
Published – March 20, 2025 08:23 pm IST