ISLAMABAD: Young­ster Hamza Khan put up a resilient fight but was ultimately defeated by Iker Pajares in the final of the Valencia Open on Sunday.

The 19-year-old Hamza, who won the world junior squash championship in 2023, lost 8-11, 5-11, 4-11 to his Spanish counterpart.

Hamza raced to a three-point in the first game but lost the momentum as Pajares, 29, won the next five points and kept the lead throughout the game.

In the second game, Pajares took the lead early but Hamza — who defeated France’s Joshua Fenera in the semi-final — equalised at two points each. Pajares again surged ahead and comfortably closed out the game.

Hamza seemed to regain momentum in the third game as he went 3-1 up but the pattern continued as the Spaniard recorded eight consecutive points before sealing the championship.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025