ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s bid for glory in the WSF World Team Squash Championship in Hong Kong, China, suffered a setback as they lost 2-1 to Germany in the playoff stage on Wednesday.

The Pakistani trio, led by Mohammad Asim Khan, Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman, put up a decent fight but ultimately came up short against their German counterparts.

Raphael Kandra proved to be the nemesis for Asim, edging him out 3-2 in a thrilling 58-minute encounter. Kandra recovered from a two-game deficit to win 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9.

The 30-year-old Nasir, however, restored some pride for Pakistan with a convincing 3-0 win over Yannik Omlor, wrapping up the match in just 27 minutes. Nasir’s dominant display saw him win 11-8, 11-2, 11-6.

But German veteran Simon Rosner proved too strong for Noor, securing a 3-1 win to seal the tie for Germany.

The 37-year-old Rosner, who was formerly among world’s top 10, recovered from a first-game loss to win 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 in 38 minutes.

Pakistan will now face Canada in the SC6 stage on Thursday, looking to regroup and make a strong finish to the tournament.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2024