Curtis and Karim Reach ABC Cup Final in Karachi
England’s Curtis Malik and Egypt’s Karim El Hammamy have reached the final of the Venice ABC Open Squash Championship at the DHA Creek Club in Karachi, after winning their semi-finals on Saturday. The Curtis Karim ABC Cup final will be played on Sunday, along with the women’s final.
The 24-man event in Karachi has been a disappointment for the home players, with Pakistan’s Asim Khan and Nasir Iqbal both failing to live up to expectations. The final will therefore feature two overseas players, but the tournament has still given Karachi a high-quality squash weekend.
Malik survives five-game thriller
Top seed Malik overcame Yassin Shohdy of Egypt 3-2 in a closely contested semi-final that swung back and forth. Malik won the opening game 12-10, then took the second 11-7 to move into a strong position.
Shohdy fought back strongly, winning the next two games 11-9 and 11-8 to level the match and force a decider. At that stage, the momentum was with the Egyptian, and Malik faced a real test of nerve.
Malik held his nerve in the fifth game, winning 11-5 to complete a 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5 victory. His response after falling two games behind threatened to turn the contest around, but Malik regained control in the deciding game to seal his place in the final.
Malik had reached the semi-finals after defeating Ziad Ibrahim of Egypt 3-0, so the five-game semi-final was his first serious test of the tournament.
Karim cruises past Siow
In the other semi-final, second seed Karim El Hammamy of Egypt produced a dominant performance to defeat Yee Xian Siow of Malaysia 3-0. El Hammamy won 11-9, 11-9, 11-6, maintaining control throughout the contest and avoiding the need for a fourth game.
Karim had qualified for the semi-final after beating Asim Khan of Pakistan 3-1 in the quarter-finals. That win ended Pakistan’s main hope in the men’s event, and it set up Karim’s comfortable semi-final win.
The final between Curtis and Karim will be an interesting contest, as both players have done extremely well in the event. Malik is the top seed, Karim is the second seed, and the final therefore pairs the two strongest players in the draw.
Pakistani players fail to deliver
The tournament report was blunt about the home players. Both Asim Khan and Nasir Iqbal did not live up to their billings, and Pakistani players failed to deliver in the 24-man event.
That is a setback for squash in Karachi, a city with a proud history in the sport. Pakistan once dominated world squash, and events at clubs like DHA Creek Club are meant to help rebuild that tradition by giving local players matches against strong overseas opponents.
Asim’s quarter-final loss to Karim was the closest a Pakistani player came to the final stages. Nasir Iqbal also fell short, leaving the home crowd without a local player to support on finals day.
Women’s final also set
In the women’s section, Egypt’s Raneem Elaraby and Amina El Rihany advanced to the final. Fourth seed Elaraby defeated compatriot Haya Rizk 3-1, recovering from a second-game setback to win 11-3, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4.
Second seed El Rihany also produced a strong performance, overcoming third seed Nour Shahin by the same scoreline. El Rihany won 11-3, 10-12, 11-8, 11-4 to book her place in the title decider.
Both finals will be held on Sunday, giving Karachi squash fans a full day of top-level matches to close the tournament.
Why the Karachi event matters
The Venice ABC Open may not carry the profile of the biggest world events, but for Pakistan squash, hosting a 24-man international draw in Karachi matters. It brings ranking points, overseas players, and match practice to local courts.
The lesson from this edition is clear: Pakistani players need more matches at this level, and more wins against seeded overseas opponents, if they are to return to the top of the world game. Malik and Karim showed the standard required, winning the key points in the deciding games.
Sunday’s finals will show whether Malik’s fighting spirit or Karim’s control wins out. Either way, the Karachi crowd will see the two best players in the draw contest the title.
