Pakistan’s squash stars, Ashab Irfan and Asim Khan, have both secured spots in the semifinals of the Johns Creek Open in the United States. The tournament has a prize money of $12,000.
Asim Khan’s path to the semifinals was challenging. The top seed had to fight back against Egypt’s Omar El Kattan, losing the first game 10-12 before winning the next three games with scores of 11-3, 11-3, and 13-11 to secure a 46-minute victory.
Meanwhile, Ashab Irfan, the tournament’s second seed, had a dominant performance in his quarterfinal match against Mexico’s Cesar Segundo. Irfan won in straight games, 11-3, 11-8, 11-3, to confidently advance to the final four.
Their strong performances follow impressive second-round victories on Thursday. Asim Khan defeated Egypt’s Kareem Badawi 11-3, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8 in a 45-minute battle, while Ashab Irfan cruised past the United States’ Christopher Gordon with a commanding 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 victory that lasted just 20 minutes.
However, not all Pakistani players were successful. Ahsan Ayaz’s campaign ended in a five-game thriller against Omar ElKattan. Despite winning the first game 11-4, Ahsan ultimately lost the match after an intense 58-minute battle. Similarly, Muhammad Huzaifa Ibrahim was knocked out in the Round of 16 after falling to Brazil’s third seed, Diego Gobbi.
