KARACHI: Noor Zaman secured a semi-final spot in the Under-23 World Squash Championships on Tuesday, maintaining Pakistan’s hopes for a medal, while Hamza Khan’s campaign ended in disappointment. The 21-year-old Zaman dominated his quarter-final match against France’s Melvil Scianimanico, winning 11-7 in the first game, followed by an 11-9 win in the second game, and closing out the match with an 11-8 win in the third game.
Zaman, seeded second, showcased remarkable patience throughout the match. “Squash is a lot about patience, and I think I had that all the way through,” he said after his victory. He remains unbeaten in the tournament and will face Malaysia’s third-seed Ameeshenraj Chandaran in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Hamza Khan was knocked out by Chandaran, who took the first two games 11-7, 11-9. Despite Khan winning the third game 11-7, the Malaysian held his ground and clinched the fourth game 11-6, securing his semi-final berth.
In other matches, Mohammad Ammad triumphed over Romania’s Radu Stefan Pena with an 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 win in the consolation quarter-finals. Ammad will compete against Spain’s Ernesto Revert Escutia in the semi-finals.
In the women’s competition, local player Sana Bahadur fell short against Yeheni Kuruppu of Sri Lanka. After winning the first game 11-9, Bahadur lost the next three games 11-7, 11-7, and 11-3, ending her tournament run.
In a shocking upset, Malaysia’s Xin Ying Yee defeated Egypt’s second-seed Malak Khafagy in a 65-minute thriller. Yee fought back after losing the first game 11-9, taking the next two 11-8, 11-9, and holding her composure to win the fifth game 11-9, securing a spot in the semi-finals.
Top seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir of Egypt advanced to the women’s semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Hong Kong’s Tse Yee Lam Toby. In the men’s bracket, Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani and Kareem El Torkey also progressed, winning their matches 3-0 and 3-1, respectively.
