WEB DESK: Top-ranked Asim Khan and Ashab Irfan have moved into the quarterfinal stage of the Johns Creek Open 2025, a $12,000 PSA Challenger tournament, after impressive wins in the second round held on Thursday.
Asim Khan, the tournament’s top seed, defeated Egypt’s Kareem Badawi in four games with a score of 11-3, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, in a 45-minute match. He controlled the early exchanges with accurate length and composed rallies, winning the first two games comfortably. Badawi fought back to take the third, but Asim responded strongly in the fourth to secure his spot in the final eight.
Meanwhile, second seed Ashab Irfan required only 20 minutes to dismiss American opponent Christopher Gordon in straight sets, 11-2, 11-4, 11-4. His aggressive shot selection and rapid gameplay kept Gordon on the back foot throughout the match.
However, the journey ended for seventh seed Ahsan Ayaz, who was narrowly defeated in a five-game contest against Egypt’s Omar ElKattan. Ahsan won the first game 11-4 but then lost the second on a tiebreak (12-10) and the third 11-9. He fought back to level the match by winning the fourth 11-8, but ElKattan held his nerve in the decider, winning 11-8 after nearly an hour of intense play.
Pakistani player Muhammad Huzaifa Ibrahim also exited the competition in the round of 16, after losing to third seed Diego Gobbi of Brazil in four games, 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-6, in 47 minutes. Huzaifa started strongly, taking the opening game, but was unable to maintain his rhythm against Gobbi’s pace and consistency in the subsequent matches.
