BRNO — World No. 42 Velavan Senthilkumar claimed his second Copper-level title of the 2026/27 PSA Squash Tour season after defeating top seed Greg Lobban in the Czech Open final in Brno, the PSA Squash Tour reported on Tuesday, November 3. The Indian fourth seed beat the Scottish world No. 31 by 13-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 in 73 minutes at Centrum Viktoria to lift the 12th PSA Tour title of his career.

Source: PSA Squash Tour — Senthilkumar Captures Copper-Level Czech Open 2026 Title (3 Nov 2026)

3-1final score: Senthilkumar bt Lobban 13-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7
73 minduration of the final
12thPSA Tour title of Senthilkumar's career
$35,000Czech Open prize fund (PSA Copper level)

The turning point came in the very first game. Lobban led 10-6, but Senthilkumar rallied, saved four game balls and fending off one more in the tie-break, to snatch the 26-minute opener 13-11. He doubled his lead with a comfortable 11-5 second game, before Lobban — who, like the Indian, had reached the final without dropping a game — pulled one back 11-8 in a 16-minute third. The 34-year-old Scot's comeback stopped there: Senthilkumar closed out the fourth 11-7.

Source: PSA Squash Tour — Senthilkumar Captures Copper-Level Czech Open 2026 Title (3 Nov 2026)

Senthilkumar had breezed through the draw without dropping a game before the final, with straight-games wins over Brazil's Diego Gobbi, eighth seed Jeremias Azana of Argentina (11-3, 11-8, 11-7 in the quarter-finals) and second seed Auguste Dussourd of France (11-7, 12-10, 11-1 in the semi-finals), according to IANS. Lobban reached the final with a straight-games win over Frenchman Toufik Mekhalfi.

Source: IANS via AsiaPost — Senthilkumar beats top seed Lobban to clinch Czech Open title (3 Nov 2026)

"Incredibly long match" — and a strong season

"It was an incredibly long match today. Of course, a lot of credit to Greg; you know he's an amazing player, always fights, never backs down. So it was really hard for me to find the rhythm and stay locked in throughout the match and get the win today," Senthilkumar said after the match, in comments published by the PSA. "It was really hard for me mentally to stay focused as well, but I'm happy that I could get through in four games." The title follows his Copper-level Budapest Open win in August, and comes a month after he won two bronze medals at the 2026 Asian Games, according to reports of the final. In the women's Challenger event at the same venue, top seed Alicia Mead of England beat Egypt's Menna Walid 13-11, 11-6, 11-9.