Mahnoor Ali secured a poignant victory at the HEAD Danish Junior Open in Denmark on Sunday. She overcame her sister Sehrish to win the Under-13 title.
The 11-year-old dominated the final, winning in straight sets 11-3, 11-3, 11-2. “Winning this major tournament is a huge achievement for me,” Mahnoor expressed. “Competing against my sister was challenging. She is a strong player, but ultimately, the better player on the day wins.”
Mahnoor extended her gratitude to her sponsors, the BARD (Bilquis and Abdul Razzak Dawood) Foundation, attributing her success to their support and hoping for continued backing.
Sehrish, on the other hand, attributed her defeat to bad luck and resolved to train harder for future competitions.
In the semifinals, Mahnoor defeated Bulgaria’s Bozhana Bozhilova 11-3, 11-4, 11-0, while Sehrish made it to the final after beating Poland’s Hania Górecka 11-4, 16-14, 11-7. Mahnoor also had a straightforward win over Górecka in the third round, maintaining her undefeated streak throughout the tournament.
Ranked number 1 in Asia in the U-13 category, Mahnoor has consistently outperformed her peers, while Sehrish holds the 12th spot. Their elder sister Mehwish, number 1 in Pakistan in the U-19 and open categories, secured a bronze in the U-17 category at the same event by defeating Ruby Huisman of the Netherlands 11-4, 11-7, 11-8.
Her father confirmed that this Danish Junior Open win marks Mahnoor’s sixth international title. The Ali sisters have also previously showcased their talent in an all-Pakistan final.
Asim Khan’s Remarkable Victory at Charlottesville Open
In other squash news, Asim Khan clinched his first PSA Tour World events title at the Charlottesville Open by defeating England’s Nick Wall. Unseeded and ranked 72nd worldwide, Khan displayed resilience by recovering from an initial set loss to win 12-10, 11-5, 11-6 in the subsequent sets.
Reflecting on his unexpected victory, Khan shared, “This win is significant for me, marking the achievement of one of my goals.” He expressed his gratitude to his family for their support through the ups and downs of his career.
Khan’s next challenge will be at the London Open in November. The Charlottesville Open, part of the PSA World Tour, boasted a prize pool of $28,750.
