Indian top seed Anahat Singh faced a tough challenge in the women’s Under-19 final at the prestigious British Junior Open squash, held at the University of Birmingham on Tuesday. Anahat, ranked 29th in the world, was narrowly defeated by French second seed Lauren Baltayan with scores of 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11. This marked her ninth BJO final across various age groups.
Semi-Final Performance
Anahat advanced to her first women’s under-19 final by overcoming Egypt’s Malika El Karaksy (3/4) in the semifinals, winning 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 in just 28 minutes. Notably, she had defeated Malika in last year’s BJO U-17 final and in the World Junior Championships quarterfinals, consistently executing shots aimed at the front corners and transforming those opportunities into winners.
Path to the Final
Before her semifinals, Anahat triumphed over Egypt’s Barb Sameh (5/8) with scores of 11-4, 10-12, 11-9, 11-3 to reach the final four. Earlier matches included a convincing win against Malak El Maraghy (Egypt, 9/16) with scores of 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 in the last-16 and a straight-sets victory against Hong Kong’s Wing Kai Gladys Ho, 11-1, 11-3, 11-3 in the second round, after receiving a bye in the first round.
Remarkable Achievements
The Delhi player had a breakout year in 2025, achieving a career-high world ranking of 28 in only her second season on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour, and defeating two top-20 players. Recently, Anahat narrowly prevailed over former world No. 10 Joshna Chinappa 11-8, 11-13, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8 in the final of the HCL Squash Indian Tour 4 at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai.
In November, she further showcased her talent by winning 3-2 against the seasoned Chinappa in an exciting all-Indian women’s final at the Daly College SRFI Indian Open squash in Indore. As the top seed and then-ranked 33rd worldwide, Anahat clinched victory in a 55-minute match with scores of 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, marking her 13th PSA title.