By Sumavaya Iqbal 
Pakistan’s squash campaign at the Jones Creek Open 2025 in the United States saw a mix of triumph and disappointment on Sunday. Ashab Irfan advanced to the final, while compatriot Asim Khan was eliminated in the semi-finals.
Ashab, the tournament’s second seed, delivered a resilient performance against Brazil’s Diogo Gobbi, sealing a 3-1 victory. The semi-final, lasting 53 minutes, showcased his tactical depth and stamina, with game scores of 11-7, 14-12, 4-11, 11-5. His victory keeps Pakistan’s hopes alive for silverware at the $12,000 event.
Asim Khan, however, faced an unexpected exit at the hands of Malaysia’s Nathan Chua. Despite being top seed, Asim lost 3-1 in a match filled with narrow margins (11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9). The result ended his quest for the title but underlined the competitive depth of international squash.
Both players had entered the last four with convincing quarterfinal victories. Asim fought back strongly to defeat Egypt’s Omar El Kattan 3-1, while Ashab displayed dominance over Mexico’s Cesar Segundo with a clean sweep (11-3, 11-8, 11-3).
Ashab’s earlier rounds were equally commanding. He needed just 20 minutes to dispatch American Christopher Gordon, delivering one of the most one-sided matches of the tournament. Asim also showed strong form in his opener against Egypt’s Kareem Badawi, winning 3-1 in 45 minutes.
Other Pakistani contenders, Ahsan Ayaz and Muhammad Huzaifa Ibrahim, fell short of the later stages. Ahsan lost a five-game thriller to El Kattan, while Huzaifa bowed out against Gobbi in the round of 16.
Ashab now stands just one step away from lifting the Jones Creek Open trophy, marking a potential breakthrough moment for Pakistan squash on the international stage.