Pakistan storm into CAS-Serena Hotels International Squash semifinals

The hosts celebrated a clean sweep over the Egyptians

Pakistan’s Hamza Khan, Noor Zaman and Nasir Iqbal marched into the semifinals of the CAS–Serena Hotels International Squash Championship 2025 at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Wednesday, capping a dominant day for the hosts that saw every Egyptian competitor bow out of the event.

The event, organised by the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) in collaboration with Serena Hotels, runs from November 24–28 and features 24 players, including seven Pakistanis and 17 international competitors from the Czech Republic, Egypt, Hong Kong-China, Japan, Malaysia and Switzerland.

Hamza grabbed the day’s biggest win by upsetting top seed and world number 42 Karim El Hammamy of Egypt 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 12-10 in a tense 44-minute match. Switzerland’s David Bernet joined him in the last four after edging Egypt’s Khalid Labib 7-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10.

Nasir Iqbal eased past Moustafa El Sirty 11-4, 11-9, 11-6, while second seed Noor Zaman overpowered Yassin Shohdy with an 11-8, 11-8, 11-3 win in just 24 minutes.

The semifinal lineup will see Hamza face Bernet, while Noor and Nasir clash in an all-Pakistan encounter for a place in Friday’s final.

The championship is supported by Serena Hotels under its Sports Diplomacy Initiative, which aims to promote international engagement through sport and strengthen Pakistan’s position as a venue for world-class competitions.

At a pre-tournament press conference held on November 20, PSF Secretary Air Commodore (Retd) Amir Nawaz, PSF Director Academies Group Captain (Retd) Irfan Asghar, and Serena Hotels representative Syed Fahim Inam highlighted the significance of hosting a major international event featuring world-ranked athletes, including top seed Karim El Hammamy and Pakistan’s second seed Noor Zaman.

The tournament concludes with the final on November 28.