Abhay Singh Opens Grasshopper Cup Campaign With Gritty Win as India's Ramit Tandon Falls in Round One

Abhay Singh, India's number one squash player, made a winning start to his Grasshopper Cup 2026 campaign, defeating Swiss wildcard David Bernet 2-1 in the opening round of the prestigious PSA Tour Gold-level event at Zurich Hauptbahnhof. 

The 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 victory, which lasted 53 minutes, was a hard-fought affair that tested Abhay's composure and competitive instincts before he came through to set up a second-round clash against seventh seed Abou-Eleinen a significant step up in quality that will give a clearer indication of where India's top squash player stands in the current global pecking order.

The match against Bernet was never straightforward. Abhay took the opener 11-9 with controlled, patient squash, but Bernet playing in front of a home crowd and with nothing to lose raised his level in the second game to level the match at 11-9. The deciding third set became a test of nerves as much as technique, and Abhay prevailed 11-8 to advance a professional result on a day when the best-of-three format up to the semifinals left no room for error or slow starts.

The news was less positive for India's other representative in the men's draw. Ramit Tandon fell to Egypt's Fares Dessouky 2-0 in 29 minutes, the scoreline of 11-6, 11-9 suggesting a contest that was competitive in the second game but largely controlled by the Egyptian throughout. Tandon will be disappointed with the early exit at a Gold-level event, though Dessouky a top Egyptian player of considerable pedigree is no easy first-round opponent on any surface or in any format.

The most dramatic narrative of the first round, however, belonged to the host nation and it was not a comfortable one for Swiss squash. Nicolas Mueller, the fourteen-time Swiss national champion and the most decorated player in Swiss squash history, was the sole home representative to survive the opening round. He did so in typically battling fashion, recovering from a 1-0 deficit against France's Baptiste Masotti to win 2-1, overturning a 3-11 first-set loss with controlled performances of 11-4 and 11-6 in the second and third to advance. The Swiss veteran's resilience and experience made the difference in a match where a younger, less experienced player might have let the deficit become a psychological mountain.

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Around Mueller, Swiss squash had a night to forget. World number 17 and Swiss number one Dimitri Steinmann was eliminated by Spain's Iker Pajares in a dramatic contest that went to a tiebreak after Steinmann saved four match balls a remarkable sequence of defiance that ultimately could not prevent a 11-8, 13-11 defeat. Wildcards Louie Hafez, David Bernet, Cindy Merlo and Ambre Allinckx all fell at the first hurdle, leaving Mueller standing as the lone standard-bearer for the host nation heading into the second round.

In the women's draw, the most emotionally resonant story of the opening round came from Egypt's Rowan Elaraby, who continued her comeback from a serious foot injury sustained at last year's World Championships. Playing in just her third tournament since breaking a bone in her foot, Elaraby recovered from a first-set deficit to defeat Hong Kong's Ka Yi Lee 2-1, with scores of 8-11, 11-7, 11-5 confirming her ability to find winning form even when carrying the physical and psychological weight of a lengthy rehabilitation. "It feels amazing to be able to play on court again," she said after the match, her relief and joy evident. "I was always on my toes and a bit scared for my foot but a win is a win and I'm really glad to be back playing and winning matches." It was the kind of human story that reminds you sport is as much about the journey as the result.

Grace Gear navigated a tricky all-English affair against Katie Malliff to advance 2-1, while Nour Heikal dispatched compatriot Hana Moataz in a brisk 13 minutes to underline Egypt's considerable depth in the women's draw.

Round two gets underway in Zurich on Wednesday, with Abhay Singh's clash against seventh seed Abou-Eleinen the Indian result to watch. A win there would represent a significant statement of intent from India's number one and after his composed if hard-fought first-round performance, he will be backing himself to deliver it.