Pakistan sweep South Korea to reach Asian Games squash semi-finals

Pakistan swept South Korea 2-0 in the men's squash team quarter-final at the 20th Asian Games on Wednesday, booking their place in the semi-finals with commanding performances from Mohammad Ashab Irfan and Noor Zaman. Irfan, who had already won a bronze medal in the men's singles competition, gave Pakistan the perfect start by beating Jooyoung Na 11-5, 11-8, 11-8. The Pakistani took control early, winning the opening game in 11-5 before maintaining his composure through two closely contested games to complete a straight-games victory. Irfan's win put Pakistan one step closer to the last four, and Noor Zaman made sure there would be no need for a deciding match. Pakistan's top-ranked player defeated Seojin Oh 11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 to seal the tie and send his team into the semi-finals. Noor raced through the opening two games, using his attacking play to establish a 2-0 advantage. Oh responded strongly in the third, winning 11-8 to briefly revive South Korea's hopes of forcing a fourth match. But Noor regained control immediately. He dominated the fourth game 11-2, closing out the contest in style and securing Pakistan's 2-0 victory. Nasir Iqbal was the third member of Pakistan's squad but was not required to take to the court after the team secured the tie through its first two matches.