Challenger Tour Round-Up: Iqbal Continues Karachi Run, Turk Battles Through to Kiva SFs

16th CNS International Squash 2024 

Nasir Iqbal continued his impressive week at the 16th CNS International Squash, knocking out fifth seed Perry Malik to reach the quarter-finals. 

Iqbal – a former World No.35 who is currently outside the world’s top 400 – beat Malaysia’s Darren Pragasam in round one, and followed that up with a 3-1 victory over World No.88 Malik on day two. 

He will now play another Malaysian in the form of left-hander Mohammad Syafiq Kamal, who was the only other non-seeded player to make it through on day two in Karachi. 

The 27-year-old has struggled for form in 2024, but will take plenty of heart from his round-two win over third seed Yassin Elshafei here, winning 3-1 in 46 minutes. 

Elsewhere in the draw, rising stars Mohamad Zakaria and Noor Zaman will go head-to-head for the second time in the last three weeks, after both winning their second-round matches 3-1. 

Egypt’s Zakaria, 16, and Pakistan’s Zaman, 20, are two of the most promosing squash prospects in their respective countries, and met at the Cannon Kirk Gillen Markets Irish Open a fortnight ago. 

Zakaria came out on top that day, overturning a one-game deficit to win 3-1, but Zaman will have home support on his side this time around, with a place in the semi-finals at stake. 

Top seed Muhammad Asim Khan and second seed Tayyab Aslam are also through, meaning there remains a possibility of being four Pakistani players in the semi-finals, with all four home favourites in different quarter-finals. 

Kiva Club Open 2024 

The top four seeds are all through to the Kiva Club Open semi-finals, though second seed Connor Turk needed all five games to see off Egypt’s Ziad Sakr. 

Canadian Turk had watched Muhammad Ashab Irfan, Ronald Palomino and Luis Quisquinay all record comfortable 3-0 victories by the time he stepped on court for the last match of the day, but he soon fell behind after losing game one 11-7. 

He won the second 11-9 but was soon one game from defeat after dropping the third 11-4, only to turn the match on its head, taking game four 11-5 and then racing through the deciding fifth, dropping only a single point to book his spot in the semi-finals.

The Poona Club LTD Open Squash Tournament 2024 

16-year-old American Diya Yadav upset fourth seed Yeheni Kuruppu on day two of The Poona Club LTD Open Squash Tournament. 

Yadav is making her PSA Tour debut in Pune this week, and followed up a round-one win over Shameena Riaz with a 3-1 comeback win over Kuruppu, a player ranked more than 200 places above her in the world. 

The teenager is now the only non-Indian player left in the women’s draw, but will be eyeing a place in the final four with Vyomika Khandelwal – who is only 10 places above her in the rankings – standing in her way. 

The other three women’s quarter-finals all feature one of the top three seeds, with Urwashi Joshi, Sunita Patel and Anjali Semwal winning their respective quarter-finals. 

The men’s draw, meanwhile, features four Sri Lankan players and four Indian players, with wildcard Diwakar Singh causing the biggest upset on day two. 

Like Yadav, Singh is playing in his first Challenger Tour event, and will now play Sri Lanka’s Nevindu Lakman for a place in the semi-finals after knocking out fifth seed Om Semwal 3-1 in 47 minutes. 

Ravindu Laksiri and Suraj Kumar Chand – the top two seeds here who met in the Hamdard Squashters Northern Slam final a fortnight ago – are also through, and remain on a collision course to meet in another trophy showdown. 

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