Pakistan’s last hope at the Venus ABC Cup ended on Friday as Asim Khan lost 3-1 to Egypt’s Karim El Hammamy in the men’s singles quarter-finals at the DHA Creek Club in Karachi. The Asim Khan ABC Cup campaign finished with game scores of 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 7-11 as the Egyptian second seed booked his place in the semi-finals.
After dropping the opening game 11-8, Asim fought back strongly to take the second game 11-7 and level the match at one game apiece. El Hammamy then regained control of the contest, closing out the third and fourth games 11-8 and 11-7 to seal victory. The Egyptian capitalised on Asim’s weaknesses in the closing stages while the Pakistani appeared to struggle with fatigue as the match progressed.
Asim Khan ABC Cup exit ends the home challenge
Asim, one of Pakistan’s most experienced campaigners, had carried the entire home challenge into the last eight. Pakistan’s other seasoned player Nasir Iqbal had already exited the competition in the first round, leaving Asim as the country’s key representative in the men’s singles quarter-finals.
The defeat means no Pakistani remains in contention at the PSA Copper event, a disappointing end after the home crowd had hoped Asim could repeat his second-round heroics. His run still offered the brightest spot of the tournament for the hosts, who had endured a disastrous opening day on Wednesday when all nine Pakistani players in action were eliminated.
Other quarter-final results
In another men’s singles quarter-final, top seed Curtis Malik of England defeated Z Ibrahim 3-0 to advance to the semi-finals. Malik dominated the encounter, winning 11-8, 11-8, 11-5.
Egypt’s Yassin Shohdy also progressed after defeating compatriot Salah Eltorgman 3-1. Shohdy lost the second game 11-4 after taking the opener 11-9, but recovered to win the third 11-5 before clinching the fourth 12-10.
The women’s singles quarter-finals produced the day’s biggest upset. Egypt’s Habiba Rizk overcame England’s top seed Lucy Turmel 3-2 in a closely contested encounter. Rizk won 11-7, 11-8 and 11-8 in the first, third and deciding games, while Turmel took the second 11-8 and the fourth 11-3.
Egypt’s Rowan Elaraby defeated Hong Kong’s Toby Tse 3-0, winning 11-4, 11-1, 11-8. Nadine Shahin of Egypt beat Japan’s Akari Midorikawa 3-1, while compatriot Amina El Rihany swept South Africa’s Hayley Ward 3-0, winning 11-7, 11-2, 11-9.
Asim’s road to the last eight
Asim had reached the quarter-finals on Thursday with a 3-1 win over Malaysia’s Syafiq Kamal in the second round. The eighth seed took 48 minutes to win the encounter 11-2, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6 at the Asif Nawaz Squash Complex, having received a first-round bye.
The opening day had been grim for the home side. Nasir Iqbal, Abdullah Nawaz, Abdul Basit, Anas Shah, Abdul Saeed and Azan Ali Khan all lost in the men’s category, while Sana Bahadur, Rushna Mehboob and Anam Aziz were beaten in the women’s section.
The Venus ABC Open 2026, organised by the Sindh Squash Association, is part of the PSA World Tour calendar and carries a combined prize purse of $82,000, with $41,000 each for the men’s and women’s competitions. The finals are scheduled for Sunday, October 25. It has been a packed week for Pakistani sport, with the national cricket team also gearing up for the tri-series in Lahore alongside the squash and hockey action.
Pakistani squash has shown it can still produce results on the big stage, as seen when the country claimed silver at the Asian Games. The junior pipeline also looks healthy, with Pakistan’s young hockey and tennis players reaching finals this week at the Sultan of Johor Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup in Islamabad.
Frequently asked questions
Who knocked Asim Khan out of the ABC Cup?
Egypt’s Karim El Hammamy beat Asim Khan 3-1 in the men’s singles quarter-finals at the DHA Creek Club in Karachi on Friday.
What were the game scores?
El Hammamy won 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7. Asim levelled the match by taking the second game but lost the third and fourth.
Who else reached the semi-finals?
In the men’s draw, top seed Curtis Malik of England and Egypt’s Yassin Shohdy joined El Hammamy. In the women’s draw, Egypt’s Habiba Rizk, Rowan Elaraby, Nadine Shahin and Amina El Rihany all advanced.
When are the ABC Cup finals?
The tournament concludes on Sunday, October 25, at the DHA Creek Club in Karachi.
