Challenger Tour Round-Up: Iqbal and Salter Impress in Karachi

16th CNS International Squash 2024 

Wildcard Nasir Iqbal rolled back the years to reach round two of the 16th CNS International Squash, stunning Malaysia’s Darren Pragasam on day one in Karachi. 

Iqbal was as high as No.35 in the world back in 2016, but has dropped outside the world’s top 400 and has not played a PSA Tour event so far this year. 

He showed that he still has what it takes to compete at this level, though, with an impressive 3-0 win over the World No.125. 

Day one’s other big winner was England’s Will Salter, who beat the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Vorlícek. 

A student at the University of Birmingham, Salter came into this event having reached round two of a 12k event for the first time in Paris last month, and now has a 20k match win to his name as well. 

He had to do things the hard way to get past Vorlícek, though, fighting back from 2-1 down to win in five games and 71 minutes, setting up a second-round clash with sixth seed Tang Ming Hong. 

That was one of three matches to go the distance on day one at the PN RKJK Squash Complex, with Tomo Endo and Mohammad Syafiq Kamal also winning in five. 

Endo battled back from two games down to beat Ka Hei Ho 3-2, while Syafiq Kamal edged a nailbiter against Hazem Hossam.

Kiva Club Open 2024 

Seven of the eight seeds made it through to quarter-finals day at the Kiva Club Open, with Mexico’s Armando Olguin the only exception. 

47-year-old Olguin has been on tour for close to two decades, but was no match for fellow Mexican Luis Aquino, who needed only 15 minutes to sink his compatriot 3-0, winning 11-3, 11-4, 11-3. 

Aquino will now play top seed Muhammad Ashab Irfan in round two, after the 19-year-old beat Zane Patel 3-0, while No.2 seed Connor Turk beat Chile’s Matias Lacroix by the same scoreline. 

The Poona Club LTD Open Squash Tournament 2024  

Four wildcards made it through to round two of the Poona Club LTD Open Squash Tournament, including 18-year-old Naresh Shingva. 

Shingva had never won a match on the Challenger Tour before, but put an end to that record by defeating Pardeep Malik 3-0 in only 23 minutes, setting up a second-round clash with Sri Lankan seventh seed Tuwin Nilakshana Herath. 

Diwakar Singh was the other men’s wildcard to reach round two, beating Sandeep Jangra 3-0, while Rani Gupta and Yashi Jain made the most of their opportunities with respective wins over Durga Pardhi and Mehak Dinesh Gupta in the women’s draw.

You can stay up to date with all the results on the Challenger Tour here.