Nasir, Nawaz reach Sindh Challenger final

Pakistan's Nasir Iqbal and Abdullah Nawaz advanced to the final of the PSA Sindh Challenger Squash Championship on Saturday at Karachi after contrasting victories in their respective semi-finals. Top seed Nasir produced a composed performance at the Jahangir Khan Squash Complex to defeat Egypt's fourth-seeded Omar Elkattan 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 in 27 minutes. Nasir established control early in the opening game and maintained his advantage throughout, denying Elkattan the opportunity to build sustained pressure. The Pakistani continued to dictate the pace in the second game, again winning 11-5, before closing out the match 11-7 in the third. The victory put Nasirl into Sunday's final as the tournament's top seed, leaving him one win away from claiming the title on home soil. In the other semi-final, 19-year-old Nawaz produced the day's other notable result by defeating third-seeded compatriot Tayyab Aslam in four games. Nawaz took the opening game 11-8, but Aslam responded in a closely contested second, edging it 14-12 to level the match. The unseeded Nawaz regained control in the third game, winning 11-8, and then completed the victory with an 11-6 fourth game. The result secured Nawaz's place in the final and set up an all-Pakistani title clash with Nasir. The championship, organized by the Sindh Squash Association, carries a prize purse of $6,000. Final is scheduled for Sunday at 4 pm., with Iqbal seeking to justify his top-seeded status against an unseeded Nawaz who has advanced through the draw with an impressive run. With both finalists having come through the semi-finals in different styles, the title match promises a contrasting contest between Nasir’s experience and Nawaz's youthful momentum.