Indian women's squash hopes end as Othman sweeps Vats in semi

Chennai's HCL PSA Challenger witnessed a decisive victory for Egypt's Rakwia Othman over India's fourth‑seeded Sanya Vats on July 14. The Egyptian delivered a flawless 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 triumph, curtailing India's aspirations in the women's bracket.

Vats entered the semi‑final as the only Indian woman still in the competition, after a dominant quarter‑final win against Unnati Tripathi, the tournament's eighth seed. Tripathi was unable to claim a single game, giving Vats a straight‑games passage.

In the men’s segment, second‑seed Suraj Chand had earlier staged a comeback against Kuwait's Ammar Al‑Tamimi but later fell out of contention. Other Indians reaching the quarters included Om Semwal (seed 7, men), Radhika Ceylon (seed 3, women), and Pooja Aarti Ragu.

Ananya Narayanan also recorded a four‑game win over Janet Vidhi in the opening round, though no other Indian woman progressed past the last‑16.

The semi‑final outcomes highlighted the strength of Egyptian competitors, with Othman's clean sweep positioning her as a favorite for the upcoming final.