Anahat stuns 8-time world champion Nour ElSherbini in Silicon Valley squash

Redwood City, October 22 (IANS) Women’s world No 15 Anahat Singh stunned Egyptian eight-time world champion Nour ElSherbini in straight games to move into the quarterfinals of the Silicon Valley Open squash in Redwood City (US).In what is the biggest win of her career, 18-year-old Anahat beat top seed and world No 3 ElSherbini 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 in 30 minutes in the second round of the USD 143,500 PSA Gold event."I've grown up watching every single match of hers. I want to achieve the things that she has done in her career. Seh is inspiration to all squash players. Getting a chance to share a court with her was my first time. I didn't expect it to go like this. I thought I'd take a little while to settle in and understand how to play her. My game plan ended up working well," Anahat said after the win.Anahat, who won singles silver at the recent Asian Games, will meet Egyptian world No. 14 Salma Hany next.Last month at the Asian Games 2026, Anahat scripted another piece of history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the squash singles final at the continental meet.She eventually settled for silver after going down 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-7) to Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam - the defending champion - in the women’s singles final.Anahat had won two bronze medals at the Asian Games 2023 - in the women's team and the mixed doubles events - in Hangzhou. Sje added a women’s singles silver to her collection from the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, becoming the first Indian woman to reach an Asian Games squash singles final.Earlier this year, at the World Junior Squash Championships 2026, Anahat won the girls' singles title to become the first Indian to claim the crown, ending Egypt's 15-year reign in the event.