Qatar classic squash

New Zealander Paul Coll: Indian squash star Anahat Singh crashed out of the Qatar Classic after going down fighting to Belgian World No. 9 Tinne Gilis in a five-game thriller in the women’s second round of the USD 242,000 PSA Platinum event here on Sunday.

Anahat, ranked No. 20 in the world and fresh from winning the world junior championship in July, produced another impressive display against a higher-ranked opponent but could not complete the comeback after taking a two-game lead.

Eighth-seeded Gilis made a strong start, taking the opening game 11-4. However, Anahat responded brilliantly, raising her intensity and winning the next two games 11-8, 11-9 to move within a game of securing a place in the quarterfinals.