Houston-Based Irfan Shocks Ng In Last 16 Texas Open Epic

Houston-based Muhammad Ashab Irfan delivered one of three major seeding upsets on day two of the 2026 Texas Open, overcoming No.8 seed Eain Yow Ng in a thrilling fifth-game tie-break to reach his first PSA Squash Tour Gold-level quarter-final.

On a dramatic day of play in which rising stars Melvil Scianimanico and Nadien Elhammamy joined Irfan in achieving career-best wins, it was the world No.44 from Pakistan - who trains and plays at the Houston Squash Club - that stole the show with an 11-7, 8-11, 4-11, 11-8, 14-12 upset over world No.16 Ng.

Playing in front of a packed-out crowd, underdog Irfan drew upon the home support to battle back from 2/1 to force a deciding game, and later save a match ball in a tense finish to the 73-minute contest.

Despite seeing 8-3 and 10-9 leads in the fifth slip into a subsequent tie-break, the 21-year-old converted his third match ball to set up a quarter-final tie with top seed and 2024 World Champion Diego Elias.

After the match, Ashab Irfan said: "That was intense and I'm really proud of myself. Obviously, Yow is a very hard player to play against, and he's an amazing top-ten player. To win like this in my home club is amazing, and I'm really proud of myself.

"When you look out of the court and the crowd is cheering you on and supporting you, it's huge. To reach my first Gold quarter-final at my home club is a big deal for me."

Elsewhere, world No.47 Scianimanico delivered a stunning performance as he fought back from a game behind to defeat former world No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy by a 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 scoreline.

The 20-year-old Frenchman will play world No.3 Karim Gawad in the quarter-finals, after the former World Champion got the better of England's Nick Wall in four games.

In the women's draw, Egypt's Nadien Elhammamy continued her career-best run in Houston after defeating No.7 seed Kenzy Ayman in a feisty all-Egyptian affair.

The 18-year-old, who is set to rise into the top 50 of the women's rankings for the first time in her career next week, will join eight-time World Champion Nour ElSherbini and US No.1 Olivia Weaver in the next round after the pair claimed respective straight game wins over Mariam Metwally and Nour Heikal.

There was one other seeding upset on the second day of play, with Swiss No.1 Dimitri Steinmann holding off a five-game comeback from No.6 seed Youssef Soliman to advance, with the latter retiring late on in the fifth game due to injury.