Pakistan’s Ashab Irfan achieved a career milestone on Sunday, advancing to his maiden PSA World Tour final after a remarkable victory over England’s second seed Adrian Waller in the semifinals of the Richardson Wealth Men’s Vancouver Open 2025.
The 21-year-old, seeded fourth, battled for 68 minutes to claim a hard-fought 3-2 win with game scores of 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-5, and 11-8.
Ashab’s triumph marks a significant breakthrough in his rising career, as he continues to make impressive strides on the professional squash circuit alongside fellow Pakistani Noor Zaman.
The Richardson Wealth Men’s Open, a PSA World Tour Copper-level event, offers a total prize purse of $31,250.
After conceding the opening game, Ashab displayed remarkable composure and resilience, recovering to level the match before trailing again in the third.
However, he maintained control in the closing stages, winning the last two games with confidence to secure his place in the final.
In the other semifinal, England’s sixth seed Sam Todd edged Egypt’s top seed Yahya Elnawasany in another five-game thriller, winning 11-6, 11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9 in 80 minutes.
Ashab Irfan will now face Sam Todd in the final, a victory in final will bring Ashab into the top 50 of PSA world squash rankings.
