Noor Zaman cruises past Cardenas to reach Optasia Championships quarter-finals

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Noor Zaman has powered into the quarter-finals of the PSA Gold Optasia Squash Championship 2026, currently under way at the Wimbledon Club in London.

The world No. 31 produced a commanding performance in the round of 16 on Thursday, dispatching Mexico’s world No. 14, Leonel Cardenas, in straight games. 

Seeded eighth in the tournament, Cardenas was no match for the Pakistani, who secured a decisive 3-0 victory with scores of 11-7, 11-5, and 11-7.

In the last eight, Zaman will face a formidable test in Peru’s world No. 3, Diego Elias.

The victory follows a dramatic opening-round encounter for Zaman, where he battled back to claim a hard-fought 3-2 win against Egypt’s Mazen Hesham.

He made a flamboyant start, dominating the first game 11-4, only for Hesham to respond by taking the second 11-7 to level the match.

The pattern continued over the next two games, with Zaman edging ahead and Hesham fighting back each time to force a decider. 

In the fifth game, however, Zaman produced his best squash to outclass his opponent 11-2, sealing a comprehensive 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 12-14, 11-2 victory in 46 minutes.

Originally, Zaman had been scheduled to face compatriot Ashab Irfan, but Irfan was unable to secure his visa in time. As a result, Hesham, the first reserve, was drafted in at the 11th hour.