India’s challenge at the 2024-25 PSA World Squash Championships came to an end in the second round on Sunday, but not before Veer Chotrani earned high praise from World No.2 Ali Farag for pushing him to the limit in a thrilling contest in Chicago.
Chotrani, a qualifier ranked World No.57, stunned Farag by taking the opening game 11-7 and later held two game balls to force a decider. But the four-time world champion held his nerve to clinch a 7-11, 11-7, 11-3, 12-10 win in 32 minutes.
“In the middle of the fourth, I looked at Karim [Darwish] outside and asked him if I was playing against Ramy Ashour,” said Farag after the match.
“I was on the receiving end in that fourth game and for most of the first game and a half, too. I told him after the match that I’ve not been outplayed like that in a long time. All credit to him, and I’m very proud to get through.”
Farag, who next faces Mexico’s Leonel Cardenas, added that he had played with Chotrani in Egypt years ago but wasn’t expecting such a polished display.
“He lived in Egypt for a bit back in the day, and I played with him when I was younger. I followed him a little bit at Cornell, but I wasn’t watching him. Nothing can prepare you for such a tricky swing. He was consistent too – I thought a few winners would come off and then he would hold back a little bit, but he never did.”
“I tensed up a little bit, but not much. I wasn’t in panic mod,e and I knew what I needed to do.”
Earlier in the day, Ramit Tandon also came close to progressing but lost a close five-game match to England’s Marwan ElShorbagy: 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8 in 57 minutes.
Abhay Singh went down in straight games to Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim, while in the women’s draw, Anahat Singh, just 17, managed to take a game off Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir before losing 3-1.