Indian Sports Wrap, August 15: Anahat, Akanksha enter semifinals at Bega Open
SQUASH
Anahat, Akanksha reach semifinals at Begu Open
India’s Anahat Singh and Akanksha Salunkhe sailed into the semifinals of the NSW Squash Bega Open, a PSA Challenger Tour event, in Australia on Friday.
The 17-year-old Anahat, the top seed, defeated seventh-seeded South African Hayley Ward 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 14-12) in 27 minutes.
Fifth seed Akanksha Salunkhe beat fourth seed Alexandra Haydon of Australia 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-3) in 24 minutes.
In the semifinals, Anahat will face Egypt’s Nour Khafagy while Akanksha will be up against either Egypt’s Habiba Hani or Spain’s Noa Romero.
– Team Sportstar
GOLF
Portland Classic: Aditi lies 32nd, Indian-American Gurleen tied second
Indian golfer Aditi Ashok produced four birdies in a row towards the end of her first round to make a solid start at The Standard Portland Classic. She shot 3-under 69 and was Tied-32nd.
Four pars at the start from the 10th were followed by a birdie on the 14th and then bogeys on the 18th and the third at which point she was 1-over. Then came a birdie run with four in a row from fifth to the eighth for a 3-under 69.
Two-time champion Brooke Henderson birdied all four par-5 holes for a 7-under 65 and was a stroke behind first-round leader Adela Cernousek.
Henderson is tied second with four others including Gurleen Kaur, a first generation Indian-American. The others are China’s Miranda Wang, Koreans Jeongeun Lee5 and Sung Hyun Park, all of whom shot 65 like Henderson.
The 25-year-old Gurleen played the 2021 US Women’s Open and made the cut. She turned pro in 2022 and played Epson Tour and came to LPGA in 2024. Starting on the 10th, Gurleen had eight birdies including five in a seven-hole stretch between the second and he eighth.
Canadian Savannah Grewal, who has roots in India, was T-32.
Leader Cernousek shot a 65 in the final group of the day off the 10th tee. The 22-year-old Frenchwoman played her final nine holes in 7-under 29 — highlighted by an eagle on No. 7.
– PTI
Danish Golf Championship: Shubhankar tied-70th after first round
India’s Shubhankar Sharma played a round of even par 71 on the opening day of the Danish Golf Championship and was placed tied 70th at the Par-71 Furesø Golf Klub in Copenhagen.
Having failed to make the cut since the Hero Indian Open held earlier this year in March, Shubhankar would be keen to avoid an early end to his week.
Veer Ahlawat shot 2-over 73 and was in danger of missing the cut as he was struggling at tied 113th.
Englishman Marco Penge played a bogey free round of 7-under 64 to set a new course record and place himself as the sole leader by two strokes at the end of the first day.
– PTI
Slow start for Saptak in Finland
Saptak Talwar started his campaign at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge with a score of 1-over 73 to be placed Tied 104th in Vierumäki, Finland.
Fresh off his best finish in the Hotel Planner Tour just last week at the Irish Challenge Saptak has a fair bit of ground to cover to make the cut.
The leader after the first round was Alvaro Hernandez Cabezuela with a score of 9-under 63.
– PTI
Rayhan Thomas off to a strong start in Boise, lies Tied-8th
Indian golfer Rayhan Thomas got off to a good start in the Albertsons Boise Open, firing a round of 6-under 65 to finish the day at tied-eighth at the Hillcrest Country Club in Boise, USA.
Rayhan shot four birdies and one eagle.
Indo-Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju also had a good first day as he shot a bogey-free round of 4-under 67 to be placed tied 33rd. Yellamaraju started his round on the back nine and shot birdies on the second, third, fourth and 15th holes.
The leader after the first round was Ward Dalton, who started his day with a bogey and closed with another bogey but still shot a round of 9-under 62. He made five birdies and three eagles for his first-round score and leads the field by one stroke.
– PTI