Indian veteran squash player Joshna Chinappa started the year on a high note by reaching the semi-final of her first tournament of the year, the SRFI Indian Tour 2025, in Chennai, on Wednesday.

Joshna will join her fellow Indian players Akanksha Salunkhe and Anahat Singh in the women’s singles semi-finals, which are scheduled for Thursday.

Three Indians in women’s singles semi-final

Joshna had an easy outing in the semi-final as she got the better of the Spanish player Sofía Mateos in straight games (11-7, 11-5, 11-4).

However, she had a tough outing in the second round where she just marginally edged past fellow countrymate Tanvi Khanna in a five-game marathon match that lasted for 50 minutes.

In the semi-final, Joshna will now take on top-seed Akanksha, who also had a tiring match against the rising star, 17-year-old Nadien Elhammamy of Egypt, where the former claimed victory after an hour-long clash.

On the other hand, Indian teenager Anahat Singh also progressed to the semi-final with a four-game (11-3, 11-3, 7-11, 11-1) win against Cristina Gomez of Spain.

Anahat will now take on the second-seeded Hayley Ward of South Africa in the second semi-final and if she wins that match it will be an all-Indian final in the women’s singles category.