Anahat Singh Survives Habiba Rizk Scare to Reach Round Two at Egyptian Squash Open 2026

Anahat Singh began her campaign at the CIB Egyptian Squash Open 2026 with a hard-fought 11-5, 11-4, 5-11, 16-14 victory over Egyptian wildcard Habiba Rizk in the women’s opening round in Giza. 

The Indian teenager survived a late comeback from her opponent to secure her place in the second round of the PSA Diamond-level tournament.

Ranked World No. 17, Singh appeared to be in control after taking the first two games, but Rizk responded strongly to turn the contest into a demanding four-game encounter. The young Egyptian saved four match balls in a tense fourth game before Singh eventually closed out the match, avoiding the need for a deciding game. The victory sets up a challenging second-round meeting with Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir, the seventh seed and a formidable opponent on home soil.

Singh established her authority early in the contest, taking the opening game 11-5 before extending her advantage with an 11-4 win in the second. Her early control put her within one game of progressing, with the Indian looking well placed to complete a straight-games victory.

However, Rizk, the reigning British Junior Open under-17 champion, demonstrated why she could not be taken lightly. Supported by a lively crowd at the O West club, the Egyptian raised her level in the third game and began to put Singh under sustained pressure. Rizk took the third game 11-5 to reduce the deficit and shift the momentum of the match. The result forced Singh to negotiate a more difficult finish than the opening two games had suggested, as the wildcard grew in confidence and continued to challenge the higher-ranked Indian.

The fourth game proved decisive. With Singh attempting to finish the match and Rizk fighting to extend it, the contest developed into a close exchange that demanded composure from both players. Rizk saved four match balls, keeping herself in contention and threatening to take the match into a fifth game.

Singh eventually prevailed 16-14, converting the opportunity to seal the victory and avoid a potentially costly decider. The scoreline underlined the challenge posed by Rizk, whose response after losing the first two games turned what initially looked like a straightforward win into a significant test for the Indian.

Aboelkheir Awaits in Round Two

Singh’s reward for surviving the opening-round contest is a meeting with seventh seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir. The Egyptian will present a substantially different challenge, particularly given her ranking and familiarity with the conditions. The supplied match information lists Singh with a 0-2 head-to-head record against Aboelkheir, meaning the Indian will enter their next encounter seeking to reverse that record.

For Singh, the key lesson from the Rizk match will be the importance of maintaining control when holding a significant advantage. Her ability to recover from the third-game loss and close out the fourth at 16-14 will provide some encouragement, but the next round is likely to demand sustained intensity from the outset. The encounter also offers Singh an opportunity to build on her recent international experience and test herself against one of the tournament’s leading contenders.

Singh arrived in Egypt after an encouraging campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where Indian squash players collected five medals across individual, doubles and team events. Singh won silver in the women’s singles, becoming the first Indian woman to reach the squash singles final at the Asian Games. Her achievement marked an important milestone for Indian squash and reinforced her standing among the country’s leading players.

Abhay Singh also claimed silver in the men’s singles. India added two bronze medals in the team competitions, with both the men’s and women’s teams finishing third after semifinal defeats to Malaysia and Hong Kong, China, respectively. Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar secured another bronze in mixed doubles, completing India’s five-medal haul in the sport.

The results provided a strong foundation for the Indian contingent heading into the Egyptian tournament. However, the PSA World Tour presents a different competitive environment, with players facing a deep international field across multiple rounds.

The CIB Egyptian Squash Open runs from October 6 to 16 in Giza and is a Diamond-level event on the Professional Squash Association Tour. The tournament features a reported prize pool of USD 367,500 for each of the men’s and women’s draws, attracting leading players from across the world. For Singh, progressing beyond the opening round was the immediate priority. She has achieved that objective, but the narrow finish against Rizk also highlighted the fine margins involved at this level.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Lucy Turmel and Hana Ramadan registered victories, while 16-year-old Nadia Mahmoud advanced after Malak Khafagy retired from their match.

Singh will now turn her attention to Aboelkheir, knowing that a more consistent performance will be needed to extend her run in Giza. Her opening-round victory demonstrated resilience under pressure, but the second round will offer a clearer indication of how effectively she can translate her Asian Games form into results against the PSA Tour’s elite opposition.