Karachi, May 21, 2025: Pakistan’s rising squash stars Ashab Irfan and Hamza Khan advanced to the quarterfinals of the South Australian Open Squash Championship on Wednesday with impressive second-round victories in Adelaide.
Top seed Ashab Irfan made light work of Hong Kong’s Leo Chung, sealing a straight-games win with scores of 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 in a commanding 35-minute performance.
Meanwhile, sixth seed Hamza Khan staged a strong comeback against Egypt’s Shady Sherbiny after dropping the opening game. Khan bounced back to win 3-1, with scores of 5-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 in a 48-minute battle.
Looking ahead to the quarterfinals on Thursday, 20-year-old Hamza Khan will face Japan’s fourth seed Tomo Endo, while 21-year-old Ashab Irfan is set to take on Malaysia’s Joachim Chuah.
The South Australian Open is part of the PSA Challenger Tour 9, with a total prize purse of USD 9,000 each for the men’s and women’s draws. Both Pakistani players had received first-round byes in the 24-player draw.
