Another Big Win for India: Velavan Senthilkumar Wins Budapest Squash Open Title

India’s squash star Velavan Senthilkumar has added another impressive title to his growing résumé, winning the PSA Budapest Squash Open in Hungary.The eighth-seeded Indian, ranked 54th in the world, saved his best for the biggest stage, defeating Hungarian No. 1 and home favourite Balazs Farkas 3-0 in the final.For Senthilkumar, it was the perfect finish to a tournament in which he repeatedly took on tough opposition and refused to back down.World No. 18 Beaten in the QuartersThe Indian’s title charge gathered serious momentum in the quarterfinals when he produced one of his most commanding performances of the tournament.Senthilkumar stunned top seed and World No. 18 Eain Yow Ng, the Asian Games gold medallist from Malaysia, in straight games, winning 11-2, 11-9, 11-8.The emphatic victory sent an early message that the Indian had arrived in Budapest with bigger ambitions than simply making a deep run.Five-Game Thriller Against ChotraniThe semifinal brought an all-Indian showdown against fellow squash player Veer Chotrani.What followed was a gripping battle that went all the way to five games. Senthilkumar eventually prevailed 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 1-11, 12-10, keeping his nerve during a tense final game.The victory earned him a place in his 15th PSA Tour final and guaranteed India a finalist in the tournament. Interestingly, the two had never previously met on the PSA Squash Tour, although Senthilkumar had beaten Chotrani three times at the Indian National Championships in the previous four years.No Stopping Senthilkumar in the FinalWaiting in the final was Farkas, who had enjoyed his own dominant run. The Hungarian No. 1 had dispatched Egypt’s Moustafa Elsirty in just 32 minutes, dropping only 14 points across three games.But against Senthilkumar, the home favourite found himself up against an Indian determined to finish the job. Senthilkumar produced a composed and dominant display to sweep Farkas 3-0, sealing the Budapest Open title and another significant milestone in his career.It was also a satisfying result in their third tour meeting. Senthilkumar had won their 2024 encounter, while Farkas had taken their first meeting in 2019.From defeating a world-ranked star to surviving a five-game thriller and then conquering the home favourite, Senthilkumar’s Budapest triumph was a statement week for Indian squash.