Anahat's junior Worlds run ends in semis
The only non-Egyptian woman standing in the last four, the Indian shrugged off a slow start to hold multiple game balls in the second and third games, but couldn't close it out in the 11-6, 14-12, 12-10 contest in which Elhammamy rode the crowd that was loudly vocal in the support of their home face.
Anahat, 17, had crashed out in the quarter-finals of the junior Worlds for the past three editions and was eager to better that in Cairo. While she did become the first Indian woman to make the semi-finals since Dipika Pallikal in 2010 to secure the bronze, Anahat's aim of being the country's first finalist since Joshna Chinappa in 2005 was thwarted by the 18-year-old Egyptian.
Anahat and Elhammamy have forged an interesting rivalry of late. They've played each other four times in the last two years, with every battle going the distance to five games. After Elhammamy had beaten her twice, Anahat turned the tide at the JSW Indian Open in March this year at home.
At home this time, an in-form Elhammamy turned it back towards her. Like in their previous four clashes, a tight contest was on the cards and it lived up to that even though the straight-games scoreline would suggest otherwise.
Elhammamy, with a packed crowd rooting for her, was off the blocks to a 5-0 lead before Anahat could settle into the match. She gradually began to, but the fast start meant the Egyptian had the opening game in the bag.
The second game produced most drama, and twists and turns. In the deficit again at 3-5, Anahat turned things around to get into the lead for the first time in the match, at 6-5. And from there she kicked on, winning four straight points while dominating Elhammamy on the front court with her short game.
At 10-5, with five game balls in sight, Anahat's big advantage soon faded. There were a couple of contentious refereeing decisions in those key points, which Anahat was visibly unhappy about. From 10-11 down now, she saved two game balls herself but couldn't on the third as Elhammamy snatched the game from Anahat's jaws.
The Indian was still visibly angry about the refereeing decisions as she sat during the changeover. She came back and ramped up her aggression on the court and again raced to a lead. This time she had three game balls at 10-7, and again Elhammamy held on to eventually keep Anahat at bay.
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