Abhay Singh Battles Past Ameeshenraj Chandaran to Reach Tuanku Muhriz Trophy Final
India’s top-ranked men’s squash player Abhay Singh has booked his place in the final of the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy 2026 after surviving a stern five-game test against Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran.
The top seed needed to dig deep against the home favourite before eventually winning the semi-final 3-2, with the match ending 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-3. The victory sends Abhay into the final of the PSA $15,000 Challenger event after a campaign that has already tested his ability to deal with different challenges.
For the Indian, who is also bound for the Asian Games, the win is another important step at the beginning of the new season.
The semi-final was anything but straightforward for Abhay. Chandaran, backed by the home crowd, immediately made his presence felt by taking the opening game 11-7. The Malaysian showed that he would not allow the top seed to dictate the contest and put Abhay under pressure from the beginning.
The Indian responded in the second game.
Abhay tightened his game and managed to edge Chandaran 11-9, levelling the match at 1-1. The second game proved important because it allowed the Indian to regain momentum after the opening setback.
He then went ahead for the first time by winning the third game 11-7. With Abhay leading 2-1, the Indian was within one game of reaching the final. But Chandaran refused to surrender. The Malaysian raised his level again in the fourth game and took it 11-7, forcing a decisive fifth game.
Everything therefore came down to the final game.
The deciding game saw Abhay produce his best squash of the match. After four closely contested games, the Indian established control in the fifth and eventually won it 11-3.
The victory completed a 3-2 comeback and secured Abhay's place in the final. It was an important demonstration of composure from the Indian, particularly after being taken to five games by a player enjoying home support. Rather than allowing the fourth-game setback to affect him, Abhay regrouped and dominated the deciding game to close out the contest.
The result also underlined why he entered the tournament as the top seed.
Abhay's run to the final had already begun with a victory over Malaysia's Wa Sern Low in the second round. The opening match of his campaign was not entirely straightforward, but the Indian gradually found his rhythm as the contest progressed and advanced to the quarter-finals.
That ability to adjust during matches has been an important feature of Abhay's run in the tournament. The quarter-final stage then brought another opportunity to build momentum before the Indian eventually reached the last four.
In the semi-final, however, the challenge became significantly greater. Chandaran had the home crowd behind him and pushed Abhay throughout the contest, taking two games off the Indian. But Abhay's ability to recover after each setback ultimately proved decisive.
The Tuanku Muhriz Trophy is a PSA $15,000 Challenger event, providing players with valuable competitive exposure and an opportunity to build momentum early in the season.
For Abhay, the tournament also comes at an important point in his calendar as he prepares for the Asian Games. The Indian is one of the leading names in India's squash contingent and will carry significant expectations into the continental competition. Matches such as the one against Chandaran can provide valuable preparation because they require players to respond to momentum swings and pressure situations.
The semi-final offered exactly that. Abhay had to recover after losing the opening game, establish a lead, deal with Chandaran forcing a decider and then produce a commanding fifth game.
Those are the situations that can define a tournament run.
Abhay will now turn his attention to the final, where he will be looking to complete his campaign with the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy title. His route to the championship match has already included multiple Malaysian opponents, beginning with Wa Sern Low and culminating in a difficult semi-final against Chandaran.
The final will provide another opportunity for the Indian to finish the tournament on a high. Having entered the competition as the top seed, Abhay will now have one final hurdle between himself and the trophy.
More importantly, the run gives him an encouraging start to the new season and another chance to build confidence ahead of his larger international commitments.
The semi-final victory was not simply about advancing to another PSA final. It was a test of Abhay's resilience.
He could have been under pressure after losing the first game. He then had to respond again when Chandaran levelled the match at 2-2. On both occasions, the Indian found a way to recover. The final scoreline tells the story: 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-3.
Four games were fiercely contested before Abhay took complete control when it mattered most. Now, the Indian No. 1 stands one victory away from the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy title.
For an athlete preparing for an Asian Games campaign, the timing could hardly be better. Abhay Singh has already shown that he can handle pressure in Malaysia.
Now comes the biggest test of the tournament the final.
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