JOHNS CREEK (Georgia): Pakistan’s Mohammad Ashab Irfan solidified his standing within the country’s competitive squash scene by capturing the Johns Creek Open title on Monday, defeating Malaysia’s Nathan Kueh 3-1.

The 21-year-old Ashab, already a two-time title winner this year, recovered from losing the first game to secure victory 8-11, 11-2, 11-2, 11-6 in a 40-minute match.

As many as 20 players competed in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger Tour event, which offered a total prize purse of $12,000. Irfan entered the tournament as the second seed.

He was among seven Pakistani players participating, joining Mohammad Asim Khan, Mohammad Huzaifa Ibrahim, Fawad Khalil, Mohammad Samiullah, Ahsan Ayaz and Farhan Zaman.

Samiullah, Farhan, Fawad and Ahsan were all eliminated in the first round. Huzaifa progressed to the second round before losing to Brazil’s Diego Gobbi.

Top seed Asim Khan delivered strong performances throughout the tournament, advancing to the semi-finals. However, his run ended on Saturday with a 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9 defeat against Kueh.

Ashab, who won the South Australian Open and RC Pro Series titles earlier this year, reached the final by overcoming third-seeded Gobbi in a gripping 53-minute semi-final clash, winning 11-7, 14-12, 4-11, 11-5.

The competition featured players from Pakistan, Egypt, Malaysia, America, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa and Bermuda.

This victory adds to the successful year for Pakistani squash as Noor Zaman claimed the Under-23 World Squash Championship title in April.

Furthermore, Pakistan secured multiple titles at the Australian Junior Open the same month, with Azan Ali claiming the Under-17 crown and Ahmad Ali Naz triumphing in the Under-11 category.

The girls were also successful, as sisters Mehwish and Mahnoor Ali bagged the Under-17 and Under-13 titles, respectively.

Sohail Adnan also clinched two titles this year as he won the British Junior Open Under-13 title in January. The 12-year-old Sohail followed it up with another triumph in the Asian Junior Squash Championship in the same category in July.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2025