Pakistan’s squash star Mahnoor Ali is unstoppable! She has stormed into the final of the U13 category at the US Junior Open Squash Championships. What makes this even more amazing is that she hasn’t lost a single match yet! Moreover, let’s cheer her on as she aims for the gold medal!
Philadelphia: Pakistan’s rising squash star, Mahnoor Ali, continued her remarkable run in the Under-13 category of the US Junior Open. She just advanced to the final after an intense semi-final clash against China’s Zinyuan Yin on Monday night.
The 11-year-old showcased her skills with a commanding performance, winning the first two sets 11-7 and 11-5. Despite a setback in the third set, where Yin fought back to take it 11-5. However, Ali held her nerves in a thrilling fourth set, clinching it 12-10 to secure her place in the final. She will face Egypt’s Linda Elsayed, who defeated USA’s Alice Huang in straight sets (11-9, 11-7, 11-9).
In a video message, Ali reflected on her semi-final victory, acknowledging the tough competition and her own mistakes. “I’ll try not to repeat those in the final,” she vowed with determination.
Earlier on Monday, Ali displayed resilience in the quarterfinal against USA’s Kaylee Li. After losing the first set 9-11, she bounced back with three consecutive wins (11-9, 11-9, 11-8), securing her spot in the semi-finals.
Currently ranked as Asia’s No. 2 in her age category, Ali has remained undefeated throughout the tournament, which has brought together nearly 1,200 players from over 40 countries.
Ali credited her success to the consistent support of her sponsors, the BARD (Bilquis and Abdul Razak Dawood) Foundation. “Their backing has been invaluable throughout the year,” she expressed gratefully.
As Mahnoor Ali gears up to face Linda Elsayed in the final on Tuesday, hopes are high for the young athlete to bring glory to Pakistan in one of the world’s most prestigious junior squash tournaments.
The US Junior Squash Open is renowned for nurturing young talent, and Mahnoor’s stellar performance has firmly established her as a player to watch in the global squash arena. Mahnoor is showing the world her talent and making Pakistan proud on the international squash stage.
