Chennai, Dec 10 (UNI) India made a dominant start to their Squash World Cup 2025 campaign, defeating debutants Switzerland 4–0 in their Pool B opener at the Express Avenue Mall.
According to Olympics.com, national champion Velavan Senthilkumar, ranked 45th in the world, set India on course with a hard-fought 3–0 (7-6, 7-6, 7-5) win over world No. 296 Robin Gadola.
The Swiss player led 6-5 in the opening game before Velavan snatched two clutch points, and the remaining games followed similarly narrow margins.
17-year-old Anahat Singh, the youngest competitor in the tournament and India’s top-ranked woman at world No. 28, delivered a composed performance to beat Celine Walser 3–0 (7-1, 7-4, 7-2). Walser briefly levelled at 4-4 in the second game, but Anahat closed out the contest with precision and pace.
India’s top-ranked men’s player Abhay Singh (world No. 29) extended the lead with a commanding 3–0 (7-0, 7-5, 7-3) victory over Louai Hafez, dominating early before holding off a late fightback.
Veteran Joshna Chinappa sealed the clean sweep with a 3–1 (7-1, 5-7, 7-2, 7-0) win against Stella Kaufmann. After dropping the second game, the 39-year-old former world No. 10 reasserted control to secure India’s fourth point.
“It feels good to get that first win,” India coach Harinder Pal Sandhu summed up. “The first match is always a bit nervy, playing in front of a home crowd with a lot of people supporting, so it’s good to get all of that out in the first match.”
“Going forward, we’re going to be really hungry, and there’s going to be a lot of desire. We’re hoping to do well!” he added.
The 2025 Squash World Cup, organised by World Squash, is the fifth edition of the event and the third consecutive one hosted in Chennai. Twelve nations are competing, including defending champions Egypt and 2023 runners-up Malaysia.
Teams are divided into four groups of three, with the top two from each pool advancing to the quarter-finals. India, bronze medallists in 2023, will next face Brazil on Thursday.
India crushes Switzerland 4–0 in dominant Squash World Cup opener
