India’s Velavan Senthilkumar claimed his maiden PSA Squash Tour title after beating Hungary’s Balzs Farkas in the Budapest Open 2026 final on Friday. The eighth-seeded Indian produced a dominant straight-games victory over the home favourite to cap an impressive week in the Hungarian capital.
The world No. 54 defeated ninth-seeded Farkas 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 in the final of the USD 43,500 PSA Copper-level tournament. The victory also marked Senthilkumar’s 11th PSA Tour crown and gave him the edge in his head-to-head record against Farkas.
The Budapest final was their third meeting on the PSA Tour, with Senthilkumar now leading 2-1. The Indian had won their previous encounter in 2024, while Farkas came out on top when they first met in 2019.
Senthilkumar’s biggest test of the tournament had come one round earlier, when he faced compatriot Veer Chotrani in an all-Indian semi-final. After dropping the opening game, the eighth seed battled back to win 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 1-11, 12-10 in a gruelling five-game contest.
Before that, Senthilkumar had produced one of the standout results of his career by defeating Malaysia’s world No. 19 Eain Yow in the quarter-finals. He beat the top seed and reigning Asian Games champion 11-2, 11-9, 11-8 to set up the last-four clash with Chotrani.
SENTHILKUMAR’S BUDAPEST RUN
The 28-year-old began his campaign with a comfortable win over England’s Will Salter, beating him 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 in straight games. He then had to work harder against fifth seed Raphael Kandra of Germany, recovering from a second-game defeat to win 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-2.
That victory set up Senthilkumar’s meeting with Eain Yow, where the Indian delivered his most emphatic performance of the week. He never allowed the Malaysian to settle, winning in three games before surviving Chotrani’s challenge in the semi-final.
The final was a very different contest. Senthilkumar seized control from the opening exchanges and never allowed Farkas to build any momentum, dropping only nine points across three games as he completed a comprehensive victory.
The title is another significant step for a player who has spent the past few years establishing himself on the PSA Tour.
A BOOST AHEAD OF ASIAN GAMES
The timing of Senthilkumar’s breakthrough adds further significance, with the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya 2026 approaching. He will now head into the men’s singles event with the confidence of having secured his first PSA title of the Copper level.
The Asian Games will carry an added incentive for the Indian squash player because the men’s and women’s singles champions in Aichi-Nagoya will earn qualification spots for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Squash is set to make its Olympic debut at LA 2028, giving the continental event an added layer of importance.
For Senthilkumar, the Budapest Open title therefore arrives at an important stage of his career. A maiden PSA Tour crown is now on his record, but the bigger opportunities of the Asian Games and the race for Olympic qualification are already waiting.
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