Pakistan’s contemporary squash icons Hamza Khan and Noor Zaman put on a show for the home crowd in Islamabad to set up an all-Pakistan final in the CAS-Serena Hotels International Squash Championship at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Thursday.
Former junior world champion Hamza defeated sixth seed David Bernet of Switzerland 3-1 in a 53-minute match to book his spot in Friday’s final.
Hamza, unseeded, took the first set 11-9 before the Swiss fought back 13-11 in the second set. A close third set saw Hamza come out on top 12-10 before dominating the fourth set 11-5.
In the other semi-final, holder Noor Zaman and Nasir Iqbal were battling it out in an all-Pakistan clash.
Second seed Noor won 11-4, 11-0 before Nasir retire hurt.
Noor will be looking to defend his title in Friday’s encounter against Hamza, with the former reaching his highest world ranking of 37 last month.
In Wedensday’s quarter-finals, Bernet beat Egypt’s Khalid Labib 7-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10 in 59 minutes; Pakistan’s Nasir Iqbal outplayed Moustafa El Sirty of Egypt 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 in 41 minutes and Noor Zaman of Pakistan downed Egypt’s Yassin Shohdy 11-8, 11-8, 11-3 in 24 minutes.
Hamza in the quarter-final beat top seed and world number 42 Karim El Hammamy of Egypt 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 12-10 in 44 minutes.
Meanwhile, all the Egyptian players crashed out of the tournament.
