Ashab Irfan beats fellow Pakistani Asim Khan to win Mile High 360 Classic title

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Ashab Irfan has won the Mile High 360 Classic squash tournament in Denver, United States, after a tough 112-minute battle against fellow countryman Asim Khan. 

The final went to five games, each showcasing a close contest between the two.

In the first game, Ashab came out strong, narrowly winning 15-13 after several intense rallies. However, Asim fought back in the second game, adjusting his tactics to level the score via an 11-8 win.

Asim kept the pressure on in the third game, taking it 11-9 with sharp play, putting him ahead. But Ashab wasn’t ready to give up. He regrouped in the fourth game, winning 11-8 to force a fifth and final game.

The deciding game was tight, but Ashab managed to edge Asim 11-9, claiming the $15,000 championship, with a final score of 15-13, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, and 11-9.

Today's final comes after both the players qualified for the final after securing victory in their respective matches a day earlier.

Asim won against fellow Pakistani Noor Zaman, whereas Ashab cruised to a 3-0 victory over England’s third-seeded Tom Walsh, winning 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 in 46 minutes. 

Earlier in the tournament, Asim faced a challenging quarter-final against second-seed Cesar Salazar of Mexico. After taking a 2-1 lead, Salazar retired in the fourth game, handing Khan victory with a final scoreline of 12-10, 2-11, 11-7, and 11-0. 

Furthermore, he also defeated India's Veer Chotrani and produced a strong showing against Dillon Huang of the United States.