Pakistani squash players Noor Zaman and Ashab Irfan advanced to the quarter-finals of the Richardson Wealth Vancouver Men’s Open 2025 after putting in impressive performances in their Round of 16 matches on Thursday.
The PSA World Tour Copper level event, with prize money of $31,250, features a strong international field with competitors from England, Egypt, Hong Kong and Wales.
Third seed Zaman put in a confident and skilful performance to beat Wales’ Owain Taylor 3-1 in 53 minutes. Zaman controlled the early stages and won the first two games 11-9, 11-9 through well-measured rallies.
Taylor rallied in the third, saving two game balls before pushing the lead to 14-12, but Zaman responded strongly in the fourth, with crisp drops and steady play in the backcourt to seal the 11-8 win.
The 21-year-old will now face England’s Sam Todd in the quarter-finals.
In another Round of 16 match, fourth seed Irfan endured a nail-biting five-match battle against Hong Kong’s Matthew Lai, ultimately winning 3-2 after 71 minutes of intense play.
Irfan started strongly and won the first game 11-4 with dominant play, but Lai hit back to level the scores. The Pakistani regained momentum to claim the third game 11-7 before Lai forced another decider by winning a tight fourth game 12-10.
In the fifth, Irfan’s superior fitness and composure under pressure made the difference as he closed out the match 11–6 and booked his place in the quarter-finals.
Irfan will face Egypt’s Mohamed Sharaf in the fourth quarter-final.
