Tanvi in action in the final on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Tanvi Khanna scripted a stirring comeback from two games down to defeat Egypt’s Farida Walid and clinch the women’s title at the HCL-SRFI PSA Challenger Tournament at the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana Club on Friday.
The third seed prevailed 8-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 in a gripping 45-minute final, avenging her five-game defeat to the second-seeded Egyptian in January this year.
Having endured a taxing five-game semifinal on Thursday, Tanvi looked a spent force initially. She squandered an 8-8 position in the first game with a couple of unforced errors before being comprehensively outplayed in the second, repeatedly finding the tin and struggling to retrieve Farida’s deft drops.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the third. Trailing 4-8, Tanvi pieced together a spirited fightback with greater patience in the rallies, levelling at 8-8 before edging the game 12-10 to stay alive.
She carried that belief into the fourth, racing to a 7-3 lead. Although Farida clawed her way back to 9-9, the Indian held her nerve to force a decider. Backed by a vocal home crowd, Tanvi again took the initiative in the fifth, opening up a 7-3 advantage. Farida reduced the deficit to 7-8, but Tanvi finished strongly, reeling off the decisive points to complete an impressive turnaround.
The men’s title went to Malaysia’s Mohd. Syafiq Kamal, who also recovered from two games down to beat Egypt’s second seed Yassin Shohdy 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 14-12, 11-8.
The results: Women: Tanvi Khanna (Ind) bt Farida Walid (Egy) 8-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7.
Men: Mohd. Syafiq Kamal bt Yassin Shohdy (Egy) 6-11, 9-11,11-8,14-12,11-8.
Published – July 03, 2026 08:14 pm IST
