Key Takeaways
- Asim Khan defeated top seed Noor Zaman in the quarter-final.
- Veteran Nasir Iqbal also advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Hamza Khan.
- The tournament carries a prize purse of $41,000 and will conclude with the final on Tuesday.
Pakistan's Asim Khan secured his place in the semi-finals by upsetting top seed Noor Zaman during their Pakistan Navy Fleet Club Open International Squash Championship quarter-final match.
Ranked 78th in the world, Asim lost the first game but went on to win the next three before Noor retired due to injury. The final scores were 9-11, 11-9, 11-1, and 11-3.
Asim expressed his satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I am feeling great, it was a tough match,” and added that maintaining focus against a player of Noor's caliber was key.
Explaining his strategy after dropping the opening game, Asim said, “Noor is a very skillful player and it’s very difficult to read his game. So my focus in the first game was to read him and then execute my plan of keeping him in the corners. Thankfully the strategy worked.”
Asim will face Salman Khalil in the first semi-final on Monday, after Salman defeated compatriot Mohamed Naseer 3-0.
In another quarter-final, veteran Nasir Iqbal secured his place in the semi-finals by defeating Hamza Khan with scores of 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, and 8-11. The match was described as thrilling.
Nasir said, “It is a major event for me so I am glad I am able to perform well up till now,” adding that he will try his best to win the tournament despite not being fully satisfied yet.
The final of the event, which carries a prize purse of $41,000, will be played on Tuesday. The matches leading up to it have been intense and competitive, with all four Pakistan players advancing to the quarter-finals.
Other notable victories include Hamza Khan’s five-game thriller against Switzerland's David Bernet, Noor Zaman’s straight games win over Brazil's Diego Gobbi, and Asim Khan’s 40-minute victory over Hong Kong's Matthew Lai.
I am feeling great, it was a tough match.
Asim Khan, Squash player
It is a major event for me so I am glad I am able to perform well up till now.
Nasir Iqbal, Veteran squash player
