Abhay Singh Reaches Grasshopper Cup Quarter-Finals With Stunning Comeback Win Over World No.13 Abou-Eleinen

Abhay Singh is writing one of Indian squash's most compelling current stories, and the Grasshopper Cup 2026 in Zurich has become the latest chapter. 

The Indian number one defeated seventh seed Aly Abou-Eleinen 2-0 scores of 12-10, 11-9 in the second round at Zurich Hauptbahnhof to reach the quarter-finals of a PSA Gold event for the very first time in his career. It was a victory built on resilience, tactical intelligence and the kind of deep-end fighting quality that separates players who compete at this level from players who win at it.

The match was far from straightforward. Singh, ranked World No. 24 and competing at the Grasshopper Cup for the first time, found himself in a familiar early deficit in the first game trailing 8-5 before finding the reserves of composure and competitive instinct that have become his calling card. He clawed back to 8-8, saved both of Eleinen's game balls in the tiebreak, and then converted when his own opportunity came a sequence that required exceptional nerve from a player who had never previously navigated the second round of a Gold event.

The second game told a similar tale. Eleinen recovered from 7-3 down to level the score, threatening to drag the match into a third and force Singh to dig even deeper. But the Indian held firm, his backhand one of the strongest weapons in his game proving decisive in the crucial exchanges. The final score of 11-9 in the second sealed a 2-0 victory that feels considerably bigger than its scoreline suggests.

Abhay was candid in his post-match assessment, crediting both his own fight and the tactical preparation of his coach James Willstrop. "In the deep end of both games I had to show some real fight to come back with the deficit in the first. I think that was deja vu a similar situation to what I had with him in El Gouna. Credit to Jimbo he put together a good plan as I was going to be in a deficit in the first, and that paid off," he said. 

As mentioned to PSA Squash Tour

The reference to El Gouna is significant Singh had defeated Eleinen 3-2 at the El Gouna International earlier this month, and coming into this match knowing he had already beaten this opponent once at this level, and finding a way to do it again in straight games, represents genuine psychological as well as technical growth.

The quarter-final spot at a Gold-level event is a landmark moment for Indian squash. Gold events represent the tier of competition just below the most prestigious Platinum level on the PSA World Tour, and consistently competing and winning at this standard is the pathway to breaking into the world's top fifteen. Singh, currently at 24, is moving in precisely the right direction and the manner of his performances in Zurich, backing up his El Gouna run with another deep run against high-quality opposition, suggests his ranking will continue to climb.

Elsewhere in the draw, Spain's Iker Pajares also reached the quarter-finals for the first time at a Gold event, defeating sixth seed Youssef Soliman in straight games to continue a remarkable week in Zurich. Former World Champion Karim Gawad disposed of Auguste Dussourd 2-0 to maintain his own charge through the draw. Switzerland's last remaining hope, fourteen-time national champion Nicolas Mueller, was eliminated by World No. 5 Joel Makin a defeat that confirmed a difficult week for home nation squash after six Swiss exits in the opening round.

https://www.indiasportshub.com/articles/abhay-singh-opens-grasshopper-cup-campaign-with-gritty-win-as-india-s-ramit-tandon-falls-in-round-one

In the women's draw, World No.13 Jasmine Hutton survived a wobble to beat France's Melissa Alves 2-1 after squandering five game balls in the first game. The Englishwoman, who had won the Sportwerk Hamburg Open the previous week, admitted she felt flat but praised her own determination to see the match through eventually prevailing 10-12, 11-7, 11-9. Second seed Satomi Watanabe came through against Rowan Elaraby, while Fayrouz Aboelkheir and Gina Kennedy also advanced in the women's section.

For Abhay Singh, the quarter-finals await and the momentum behind him is real, hard-earned and thoroughly deserved.