Key points
- Noor Zaman beats Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey in the qualifying final
- He will face England’s Curtis Malik in first round on Sunday
- Zaman, first Pakistani player to reach British Open main round since 2022
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Noor Zaman has qualified for the main round of the British Open Squash Championship after defeating Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey in the qualifying final.
According to Geo News, the reigning World Under-23 Squash champion continued his impressive run on the professional circuit, securing his spot in the main round of the prestigious tournament in England.
In the decisive qualifying match, the 10th-seeded Zaman overcame third-seeded El Torkey 11-5, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7 in just 46 minutes.
“A 59-minute thriller”
Earlier in the qualifying rounds, Zaman defeated England’s Will Salter 3-1 (10-12, 11-2, 11-5, 11-3) in 42 minutes and Adrian Waller 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 14-12) in a 59-minute thriller.
Zaman, the first Pakistani player to reach the British Open main round since 2022, will face England’s Curtis Malik in the first round on Sunday.
Earlier, in 2022, Tayyab Aslam was the last Pakistani to compete in the tournament’s main round.
The emerging star’s consistent performances highlight his growing stature in squash at global stage.
Pakistan holds a record of 30 British Open titles — the most by any nation, with 10 of these titles won by Jahangir Khan.
