” Nasir Iqbal advances to quarterfinals at Bega Open Squash ” | Express News Pro

NEW SOUTH WALES: Pakistan’s Nasir Iqbal has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Bega Open squash tournament in New South Australia. Iqbal secured his spot by defeating France’s Melol Sianimenko in the second round with scores of 8-11, 4-11, 11-9, and 5-11. The Bega Open, offering a total prize pool of $12,000, continues with Iqbal’s advancement following this win.

Earlier, in the opening round, Iqbal overcame Australia’s Benjamin Ratcliffe. In the quarter-finals, Iqbal will face Japan’s Tomo Ando.

In contrast, Pakistan’s top seed, Noor Zaman, was eliminated in the first round. Zaman lost to Switzerland’s Robin Gudola with a score of 0-3.

The Volkswagen Bega Open 2024 is scheduled from July 31 to August 4, 2024, in Bega, New South Wales, Australia. The tournament features a total prize money of $12,000 for both men and women.

In the men’s main draw, the top seed is Noor Zaman from Pakistan. Matthew Lai from Hong Kong is seeded second, followed by Elijah Thomas from New Zealand as the third seed, and Darren Pragasam from Malaysia as the fourth seed. Other notable players include Rhys Dowling from Australia, Bryan Lim from Malaysia, and Melvil Scianimanico from France. Nasir Iqbal, seeded 10th, is among the key competitors.

The men’s wild card entries include Connor Hayes, Andre Lynn, and Gregory Chan, all from Australia.

In the women’s main draw, Cheng Nga Ching from Hong Kong is the top seed. Australian players Sarah Cardwell and Rachael Grinham follow as the second and third seeds, respectively. Madison Lyon, Erin Classen, and Hayley Ward complete the top six seeds. Notable players also include Erisa Sano Herring and Sugimoto Risa from Japan.

The women’s draw includes several players from Pakistan, including Noor Ul Huda, Aiman Shahbaz, Riffat Khan, and Noor Ul Ain Ijaz. The wild card entries for the women’s tournament feature Yeung Wai Leng.

The Bega Open is expected to deliver competitive matches with top international players contending for the title and prize money.