Abhay Singh wins Tuanku Muhriz Open

Indian professional squash player Abhay Singh has won the Tuanku Muhriz Open. The 23-year-old has won his first US$10,000 title and his second PSA title of the season.

Currently ranked 160th in world rankings, Singh kicked his Tuanku Muhriz Open campaign off with a win over Malaysia’s Duncan Lee and then shocked tournament’s No. 7-seeded Ibrahim Elkabbani in straight games to move into the quarter finals against No. 4-seeded Mohammad Syafiq Kamal.

Singh came from behind to take down Kamal in four games before taking down Malaysia’s Sanjay Jeeva in the semi-finals to set up a date with his compatriot Ivan Yuen in the final, preventing it from becoming an all-Malaysian affair.

The Chennai boy started the final well, winning the opening game, but then lost a game following a strong comeback from Yuen. The next two games saw Singh and Yuen evenly split the results before Singh clinched the title in the final game in the tie-breaker. 

Home-favourite Aira Azman won the women’s event, taking down Salma Eltayeb of Egypt in another five-game final which saw the Malaysian lose the first game but mount a comeback to take the crown in front of her home crowd.