Pakistan’s rising squash star Muhammad Ashab Irfan continued his impressive run at the PSA World Championships after defeating Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller in the opening round.
World No. 48 Ashab, showing excellent control and confidence, secured a 3-0 win over world No. 31 Mueller with scores of 13-11, 11-9, and 11-0.
The opening game proved to be the toughest part of the contest, as both players fought hard for every point. Ashab held his nerve in the closing stages and edged the Swiss player 13-11.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with Mueller trying to stay in the match. However, Ashab remained composed and took the game 11-9.
After gaining full momentum, the Pakistani player completely dominated the third game and sealed the final 11-0 without conceding a single point.
The victory helped Ashab book his place in the next round of the prestigious tournament and marked another important step in his growing international career.
Ashab’s victory came as Pakistan’s top-ranked player, Noor Zaman, made a strong start to his campaign.
Noor, ranked world No. 28, defeated Egypt’s Adam Hawal in a five-game contest, winning 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11, and 11-8 in 55 minutes to reach the last 32.
However, Pakistan’s Asim Khan was knocked out after losing in straight games to fifth seed Joel Makin of Wales. World No. 69 Asim lost 11-1, 11-3, and 11-2 in a 23-minute contest.
