Anahat Singh tore through the Japanese ace Satomi Watanabe in a 51‑minute thriller, flipping a 0‑2 deficit into a 3‑2 victory that booked her place in the final.
Anahat’s turnaround began in the third game, where she clawed back from 8‑10 to 12‑10, then carried that surge into the fourth to level the match at 6‑6 before rolling a five‑point burst that sealed the game.
The match was a roller‑coaster: she dropped a 9‑11, 11‑13, then forced a 12‑10 win before dominating the last two games with sharp drops and capitalising on Satomi’s unforced errors.
“I was bleeding from a bitten tongue, but I kept telling myself I can’t let the Olympic spot slip away,” Anahat said, eyes on the 2028 Games. The win guarantees India a direct berth, making this semifinal a high‑stakes battle for Olympic dreams.
Abhay Singh, meanwhile, secured his berth with a 3‑0 sweep of Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan, taking the men’s title match into a showdown with Malaysia’s NG Eain Yow. Both finalists will face top‑seeded Malaysians this Sunday – Anahat against Sivasangari Subramaniam and Abhay against NG Eain Yow. The next chapter is set for the finals on Sunday, with the Olympic qualification hanging in the balance.