Noor Zaman first ever Pakistani to qualify for main draw of British Open

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan squash Star Noor Zaman stood first in the main draw of the British Open underway in Birmingham, according to media reports.

Zaman beat Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey by 3-1, making him the first-ever Pakistani to achieve this milestone.

Yesterday, 44th-ranked Zaman defeated the Egyptian 11-5, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7 in a 46-minute game at the Solihull Arden Club in Birmingham.

“Alhamdulillah, after a 20-year gap, I have qualified for the Main Round of the British Open. I am the first Pakistani to achieve this milestone,” Zaman said in a post shared on  X.

Zaman found his range at the front and back of the court early in the fixture and looked focused as he took a commanding 2-0 lead,” reads a press release by the British Open.

“The Egyptian responded by taking the third game 11-3, firing the ball in short and capitalising on Zaman’s errors. In a competitive fourth, there was nothing to separate the two as the score reached 5-5, Zaman established a two-point lead to pull ahead and secured the game 11-7 to win in 46 minutes,” the press release said.

Zaman will face England’s Curtis Malik on June 1, as the main draw is set to begin on May 31. The Diamond level event carries a prize draw of $348,500 each for the men’s and women’s categories.