India’s challenge in the men’s draw of the British Open squash championships ended as Abhay Singh and Veer Chotrani faced second-round defeats against higher-ranked opponents. Abhay, ranked World No. 24, fought hard against Egyptian star Mohamad Zakaria but lost 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 10-12 in a closely contested match. Despite a strong comeback in the third game, Abhay couldn’t force a decider.
Abhay’s campaign started impressively with a straight-games victory over Matias Knudsen but ended in the second round against the world No. 8 Egyptian. Veer Chotrani, ranked World No. 40, also exited in the second round after a defeat by Welsh sixth seed Joel Makin. Chotrani put up a tough fight but was eventually beaten 10-12, 9-11, 3-11 by the experienced world No. 6.
Both Abhay and Chotrani were the only Indians to progress beyond the opening round in the PSA Diamond event. While Abhay’s journey was halted by Zakaria, Chotrani’s run ended against Makin. Despite their exits, their performances ensured India’s presence in the later stages of the prestigious tournament.
