KARACHI: Noor Zaman kept Pakistan’s medal hopes alive as he breezed through to the semi-finals while compatriot Hamza Khan was ousted from a podium finish at the Under-23 World Squash Championships on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old put on a show for the home crowd in Creek Club’s sole glass court with an easy 11-7 win in the first game against France’s Melvil Scianimanico.
The Frenchman — who finished runner-up in last year’s European Junior Championship and reached the semis of the 2023 World Junior Championship — almost won the second game but Noor snatched it from his grasp 11-9.
Home favourite Noor, seeded second, kept his cool against a visibly agitated Scianimanico to take the third game 11-8 and advance to the last-four stage.
“Squash is a lot about patience, and I think I had that all the way through,” Noor told the crowd in his post-match interview.
He remains unbeaten throughout the tournament, as does Malaysian ¾ seed Ameeshenraj Chandaran who he’ll be playing against in the semi-finals.
Chandaran had a fierce game against Hamza Khan in the first two games, winning 11-7, 11-9.
The crowd had swelled to a couple hundred people in the glass court arena to see Hamza play, cheering him on every point against the Malaysian who he defeated 11-7 in the third game.
Chandaran kept his head in the game to win the fourth game 11-6 against an angsty Hamza who threw his racquet on the floor after exiting the court.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Ammad thrashed Romania’s Radu Stefan Pena 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 in the consolation quarter-final. He’ll take on Spain’s Ernesto Revert Escutia on Wednesday in the semi-final.
In the women’s section, home hope Sana Bahadur fell against Yeheni Kuruppu of Sri Lanka in the consolation quarter-final clash that lasted 33 minutes.
Sana started strongly winning the first game 11-9, but the Sri Lankan got her revenge, clinching the next three games 11-7, 11-7, 11-3, to secure the semi-final spot.
Malaysia’s Xin Ying Yee, seeded seventh, delivered the shock of the tournament when she beat second seed Egypt’s Malak Khafagy in a thrilling 65 minute match in the glass court.
Right from the first game, which Malak won 11-9, the duo collided and wrestled for control of the court.
Yee’s cool demeanour contrasted against a vociferous Malak to take the next two games 11-8, 11-9.
But the world no. 31 proved her worth when she stormed back to victory in the fourth game 11-7.
The fifth set was as heated in play as it was in words, earning both women a warning from the referee, who calmly dismissed interference from Malak’s coach.
At game and match point, a stroke decision was given in the Malaysian’s favour to bring an exciting match to a close and propel 21-year-old Xin into the semi-finals.
Top seed and world no. 14 Fayrouz Aboelkheir of Egypt cruised into the last four with a 3-1 win over Hong Kong’s Tse Yee Lam Toby.
Her male compatriots demolished their opponents 3-0 as top seed Ibrahim Elkabbani downed Dutch Rowan Damming 3-0, while third seed Kareem El Torkey overpowered Switzerland’s David Bernet 3-1.
Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2025