Hamza Khan Advances to Valencia Open Final with Thrilling Victory

VALENCIA: Pakistani squash sensation Hamza Khan orchestrated a remarkable comeback to secure his spot in the Valencia Open Squash Championship final. In a captivating semi-final showdown on Saturday, he triumphed over France’s Joshua Fenera.

The gripping match spanned 49 minutes, witnessing Hamza rally from a 2-1 deficit to claim a 3-2 victory after five games.

Hamza conceded the first game narrowly at 10-12 but showcased resilience to capture the second at 11-6.

Fenera, however, surged ahead by winning the third set 11-5, placing considerable pressure on the Pakistani athlete.

Undeterred, Hamza responded emphatically with an 11-3 win in the fourth, before clinching the decisive set 11-5, thus guaranteeing his place in the final.

With this triumph, Hamza is now set to face Spain’s top-seeded player, Iker Pajares, in the final.

The Valencia Open, currently hosted in Spain, features a total prize pool of USD 15,000.

In related news, the Pakistan team, consisting of Abdullah Nawaz, Anas Ali Shah, and Muhammad Umair Arif, achieved a comeback victory of 2-1 against Korea, securing fifth place in the World Junior Squash Championship men’s competition held at the Black Ball in Cairo on Friday.

Pakistan faced an unfavorable start in the final placement match as Abdullah encountered a 3-1 defeat against Joo Young Na.

Abdullah initially won the opening set 12-10, indicating a promising beginning to his match, but Young Na displayed resilience and secured three consecutive sets, granting Korea a 1-0 lead with scores of 12-10, 4-11, 3-11, and 3-11.

Trailing 1-0, Anas stepped up for Pakistan and prevailed over Jeong Uk Ryu with scores of 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 5-11, and 11-3, leveling the match and setting the stage for a decider.

In the final match, Umair faced stiff competition from Jonghyeok Lee, resulting in a five-set thriller, with Umair ultimately emerging victorious with scores of 13-11, 5-11, 11-7, 9-11, and 11-8.

This hard-fought victory propelled Pakistan to fifth position in the World Junior Squash Championship 2025.

The national team initiated their campaign for the fifth to eighth classification positions with a dominant 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic, with Abdullah and Umair securing convincing wins in their respective matches.