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Two-time Asian champion Joshna Chinappa secured the women's singles title at the Japan Open squash tournament being held in Yokohama on Monday.
The 39-year-old veteran, ranked 117th worldwide and an unseeded player in the tournament, outclassed the third seed and world number 53, Haya Ali of Egypt, 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8 to cap off an impressive run at the PSA Challenger event, as per Olympics.com. This was Chinappa's second meeting with Haya, having earlier played in the second round of Bermuda this year, where the Indian lost 11-8, 10-12, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8. This win marks a moment of redemption for her and her 11th career PSA title. A former world number 10, Chinappa has been on an impressive run since her return, having undergone a knee operation after the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where she was a crucial part of India's bronze medal-winning team. Earlier this year, she captured the women's doubles title at the Asian Championships in June, teaming up with teenage star Anahat Singh. She also made it to the semifinals of the Indian Open, where she lost to the eventual champion, Anahat. Earlier during the Japan Open, Joshna had went past Egypt's second-seed Nardine Garas 11-8, 15-13, 11-9 in the quarter-finals and also beat fourth-seeded Egyptian Rana Ismail 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 in the semi-finals. Chinappa had started off with a win over Malaysia's Anrie Goh 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 in the campaign opener and followed it with a win over France's fifth-seed Lauren Baltayan 11-7, 11-4, 11-9 to advance to the quarterfinals. Squash will be finally making its Olympic debut at the LA 2028 Games. (ANI)
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