Pakistan’s Noor Zaman qualifies for Charlottesville Open quarter-final

KARACHI: Pakistan’s rising squash star Noor Zaman stormed into the Charlottesville Open quarter-final with a resounding 3-1 victory over England’s Tom Walsh on Thursday.

The in-form player, who received a first-round bye, started the game on a high as he sealed a hard-fought opening set 13-11, while completely outclassing Walsh 11-5 in the second.

The Englishman pulled one back by sealing the third set 11-5, only for Zaman to clinch the fourth and round up a comprehensive victory to book his spot in the quarter-final.

The 21-year-old will face Egypt’s Yahya Elnawasany in the knockout fixture, scheduled to be played later today.

Notably, Zaman is riding high on confidence after clinching the Nash Cup in Canada last week, another PSA World Tour event.

The 21-year-old, seeded fifth, stunned the tournament’s No. 2 seed 3-0 in a gripping 52-minute contest.

Noor Zaman edged a marathon first game 19-17 before sealing the match with 11-7 and 11-9 wins. The triumph marked a significant milestone for the reigning World U23 Champion.

Earlier, Zaman stormed into the final after defeating Colombia’s Matias Knudsen, the No. 7 seed, 11-3, 12-10, 11-3 in just 28 minutes, showcasing complete dominance.

On the other hand, Zaman’s compatriots Ashab Irfan and Asim Khan suffered defeats in their respective Round of 16 matches and were thus knocked out of the tournament.

Asim suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of top seed Timothy Brownell, while India’s Veer Chotrani crushed Ashab 3-1.