HSC International 2022: PSA Tour Debutant Zakaria Scores Big Win To Reach RD2 In Houston

15-year old wildcard Mohamed Zakaria has scored a big win in his first match on the PSA tour at the HSC International Squash Open as he downed World No.201 Asyraf Azan to reach the second round in Houston.

With the scores level at 1-1 in games, Zakaria was able to turn the screw and go on to take the third and fourth games 11-7, 11-9 to advance to the last 16 of the Challenger 10 event. He will now face England’s Tom Walsh for a spot in the quarter finals.

There were no further upsets on day one of the event, but World No.189 Saeed Abdul was pushed all the way to five games against 24-year-old Jorge Gomez from Mexico. The Pakistani found himself 2-1 up in the match before being pegged back by Gomez to 2-2. Abdul recovered in the fifth game however and managed to close the match out 11-8 top move into the second round.

The top seeds now enter the draw with top seed Muhammad Asim Khan looking to start strongly as he takes on Mexico’s Allan Nunez for a quarter final place. Nunez comfortably overcame Muhammad Ibrahim Noorani in round one and needing just 16 minutes to overcome the Pakistani player.

First Round Results: HSC International Squash Open
Allan Nunez (MEX) bt Muhammad Ibrahim Noorani (PAK) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-0 (16m)
[WC] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) bt Asyraf Azan (MAS) 3-1: 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 (47m)
Liam Marrison (CAN) bt Salman Rafique (USA) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (20m)
Jeremias Azana (ARG) bt Chris Fuller (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (32m)
Carlos Vargas (MEX) bt [WC] Arhan Chandra (USA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (22m)
Saeed Abdul (PAK) bt Jorge Gomez (MEX) 3-2: 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8 (52m)
Jamie Ruggiero (USA) bt [WC] Vandrick Inman-Benavente (USA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-2 (21m)
Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bt Faizan Khan (PAK) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-3 (28m)

Second Round Draw: To Be Played Thursday, November 1
[1] Muhammad Asin Khan (PAK) v Allan Nunez (MEX)
[WC] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) v [5] Tom Walsh (ENG)
[8] Andres Herrera (COL) v Liam Marrison (CAN)
Jeremias Azana (ARG) v [4] Spencer Lovejoy (USA)
[3] Alfredo Avila (MEX) v Carlos Vargas (MEX)
Saeed Abdul (PAK) v [7] Connor Turk (CAN)
[6] Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) v Jamie Ruggiero (USA)
Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) v [2] Andrew Douglas (USA)