Tanvi Khanna's Valient Effort Falls Short at Squash India Tour Jaipur

On Friday, Asian Games medalist Tanvi Khanna encountered a challenging end to her impressive journey at the Squash India Tour Jaipur 2025. Competing in the women's singles final at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Khanna faced off against top-seed Nour Khafagy from Egypt. Despite a valiant effort, she was unable to secure the title, concluding the match with a 3-1 defeat (11-3, 5-11, 11-5, 12-10), as reported by Olympics.com.

In the electrifying contest, Khanna lost the opening game but staged a comeback in the second. Despite clinching that round, she fell short in the third, leading the battle to a decisive fourth game. Ultimately, world number 94 Khafagy retained the championship, leaving the 29-year-old Khanna as the runner-up. Khanna's journey commenced with a first-round bye, followed by a 3-0 triumph over Rathika Suthanthira Seelan in the round of 16.

The tournament saw Khanna delivering a spectacular performance in the quarterfinals, causing a major upset against second-seed Menna Walid of Egypt with a 3-2 victory in a grueling 54-minute match, the longest of the event. Her heroics continued into the semifinals, where she ousted the fourth-seeded Malaysian contender Goh Zhi Xuan 3-0, earning her a spot in the final.

The tournament, notably missing Anahat Singh, forms part of the Squash Tour Jaipur, a key Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger 9K event sponsored by HCL. India will host another similar event in Mumbai next month, expanding to a total of six cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Delhi. This tour holds significant importance as it contributes vital PSA ranking points to participants, a crucial aspect as squash prepares for its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.

(With inputs from agencies.)