Pakistan's Ashab, Hamza reach quarter finals at South Australian Open

Ashab Irfan defeated Hong Kong player while Hamza Khan bounced back after losing first match against Egypt

By
Faizan Lakhani
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Ashab Irfan at the South Australian Open Squash Championship — Reporter
Ashab Irfan at the South Australian Open Squash Championship — Reporter

KARACHI: Pakistan's Ashab Irfan and Hamza Khan secured quarter final berths on Wednesday at the South Australian Open Squash Championship with victories in the second round.

The top seeded Ashab Irfan defeated Hong Kong's Leo Chung 11-7, 11-5, 11-5, dominating in a 35-minute match. Sixth-seeded Hamza Khan fought back after losing the first game against Egypt's Shady Sherbiny to win the match 3-1 with scores of 5-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 in a 48-minute contest.

Khan, 20, will face Japan's fourth-seeded Tomo Endo in Thursday's quarter-finals, while Irfan, 21, will play against Malaysia's Joachim Chuah. The tournament, being played in Adelaide, is a PSA Challenger Tour 9 event and offers a total prize money of $9,000 for both men and women.

Both Pakistani players received first-round byes in the 24-player draw.