mumbai: Top seed Anahat Singh and unseeded compatriot Tanvi Khanna ensured a strong Indian presence in the women’s singles semifinals of the JSW Indian Open after winning their respective quarterfinal matches here on Friday.
However, veteran Joshna Chinappa bowed out of the competition following a 1–3 defeat to Egypt’s Nadien El Hammamy.
In another quarterfinal clash, second seed Hana Moataz fought hard to edge past eighth seed Yasshmita Jadishkumar of Malaysia in a five-game thriller, 3–2 (11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8).
In the semifinals on Saturday, Anahat will face Tanvi, while Moataz will square off against El Hammamy.
Anahat underlined her status as one of the top contenders for the title with a dominant 3–0 (11-2, 11-6, 11-4) victory over Malaysia’s Sehveetrraa Kumar.
The top seed raced through the opening game with ease, taking it 11-2 without much effort. Kumar offered a stronger challenge in the second game, but Anahat’s blend of power and clever deception helped her maintain control and clinch it 11-6.
The third game followed a similar pattern as Anahat dictated the pace and cruised to an emphatic 11-4 win, sealing a comfortable passage into the last four.
Meanwhile, Tanvi produced one of the standout performances of the day by upsetting fourth seed Ainaa Amani 3–1.
The Indian started strongly, taking the opening game 11-6 before Amani levelled the match by winning the second 11-7. Tanvi, however, held her nerve in the remaining games, winning 11-5 and 11-8 to book her semifinal berth.
Earlier, Joshna began confidently against El Hammamy but gradually found it difficult to counter the Egyptian’s deceptive movement and sharp cross-court shots.
After a closely contested start and a strong comeback in the second game, Joshna lost momentum as El Hammamy raised her intensity to clinch the final two games.