Indian squash player Velavan Senthilkumar advanced to the London Open quarterfinals after defeating Paraguay’s Francesco Marcantonio in straight games. The second seed continues his impressive international campaign following recent Czech Open and Budapest Open title victories.
India’s Velavan Senthilkumar continued his impressive run on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour by advancing to the quarterfinals of the London Open, an USD 18,000 PSA Challenger tournament, on Thursday. The second-seeded Indian defeated Paraguay’s Francesco Marcantonio in straight games in the second round to secure his place in the last eight.
World No. 42 Senthilkumar registered a convincing 11-5, 11-7, 14-12 victory over world No. 124 Marcantonio. After receiving a first-round bye, the Indian made a strong start to his campaign and demonstrated his consistency and composure throughout the contest.
Although Marcantonio attempted to extend the match in the third game, Senthilkumar maintained his concentration and eventually secured victory after a closely contested 14-12 finish.
With this win, the Indian has moved one step closer to another significant title on the international squash circuit. He will next face France’s Amir Khaled-Jousselin, who is ranked 99th in the world, in the quarterfinals. The upcoming encounter will provide Senthilkumar with another opportunity to strengthen his position and continue his recent winning momentum.
Meanwhile, another Indian participant, world No. 167 Ayaan Vaziralli, suffered an opening-round defeat against higher-ranked English player Ben Smith. Vaziralli started positively, winning the first game 11-6, but Smith fought back to take the second game 13-11.
The Indian regained the advantage with an 11-6 victory in the third game. However, Smith produced a strong comeback in the final two games, winning 11-4 and 11-7 to complete a 6-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7 victory.
Senthilkumar’s progress at the London Open comes after an impressive period in his professional career. Last week, he captured the USD 35,000 Czech Open title, a PSA Copper-level tournament, by defeating top seed Greg Lobban of Scotland in the final. The victory added another important achievement to his growing collection of international titles.
Earlier, the Indian had also enjoyed a successful campaign at the Budapest Open in August, where he defeated Hungary’s Balazs Farkas in the final to secure his first PSA Copper-level championship. His victories in Budapest and the Czech Republic have highlighted his growing consistency and ability to compete against established international players.
Senthilkumar also delivered a notable performance at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, returning with two bronze medals. He secured one medal in the mixed team competition alongside Joshna Chinappa and another as part of the Indian men’s team.
The Indian men’s team’s campaign concluded in the semifinals after a 2-1 defeat against Malaysia. Despite missing out on a place in the final, the bronze medal represented another significant achievement for Indian squash.
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With consecutive international successes and strong performances in major competitions, Senthilkumar has emerged as one of India’s promising players on the global squash circuit. His recent achievements are also significant as the sport prepares for its historic Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
As the London Open progresses, the Indian will look to maintain his winning momentum against French opponent Amir Khaled-Jousselin and move closer to another PSA Tour title.
