Pakistan’s Ashab Irfan triumphed in the Mile High 360 Classic squash tournament held in Denver, USA, after a grueling 112-minute final against fellow countryman Asim Khan.
The All-Pakistani Grand Final was fiercely contested and went the full distance with five games.
In the opening game, Ashab secured a narrow 15-13 victory after several intense exchanges. However, Khan responded in the second game, adjusting his strategy to win 11-8 and even the score.
Khan continued his momentum, taking the third game 11-9 with sharp play, giving him the lead. But Ashab wasn’t ready to back down. He regrouped in the fourth game, winning 11-8 to push the match into a decisive fifth game.
The final game was closely fought, but Ashab managed to edge out Khan 11-9, capturing the $15,000 title. The final score was 15-13, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9.
In the semi-finals, Asim had staged a remarkable comeback against fellow Pakistani Noor Zaman, overcoming a two-game deficit to win 6-11, 8-11, 14-12, 11-9, 11-2 in a 96-minute thriller. Meanwhile, Ashab had a comparatively smoother path to the final, defeating England’s third-seeded Tom Walsh in straight games, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3, in just 46 minutes.
This marks a stellar run of late for Pakistani squash, with Ashab adding to an already stellar run of tournaments won in the USA alone this year.
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