From Apr. 2 to Apr. 6, UR hosted the 2025 Hazlow Electronics Rochester ProAm at their Lyman Squash Courts in the Goergen Athletic Center. The event was part of the Professional Squash Association’s (PSA) Challenger’s Tour and notably featured two of the world’s top 100 players, #82 ranked Nasir Iqbal of Pakistan and Egypt’s Khaled Labib, ranked #99. Aside from Iqbal and Labib, 19 other players in the world’s top 500 participated. Three members of UR’s varsity squash team also played — senior Yash Fadte of India, senior Omar Zakaria of Egypt, and sophomore Dhirren Rajarathinam of Malaysia.
The first round of play began at 4:30 p.m. Apr. 2, when Fadte, Zakaria, and Rajarathinam each played. Rajarathinam lost to Malaysia’s Yee Xian Siow in three games with scores of 11-6, 11-6, and 11-3. Later, Fadte beat Matias Lacroix of Chile in four games, concluding with scores of 11-13, 11-8, 11-6, and 11-9. Finally, Zakaria won when his opponent, Pakistan’s Ahsan Ayaz, retired from the match down 2-8 in the fifth game. Iqbal and Labib each had a bye day due to their tournament rankings of #1 and #2, respectively.
Starting at 5:00 p.m. Apr. 3, Iqbal defeated Germany’s Jan Wipperfürt in three games with the scores 12-10, 11-4, and 11-5. Later, tournament ranked #3 Sebastian Salazar of Mexico played Fadte, winning in three games scored 11-8, 11-4, and 13-11. In the final game, Zakaria lost his second round match versus Labib in three games, 11-13, 8-11, and 7-11.
The quarter final round began on Apr. 4 at 5:30 p.m. Iqbal played the first match of the day against Gabriel Olufunmilayo of Nigeria. Iqbal won in three games, 11-7, 11-1, and 1-0 as Olufunmilayo retired in the third game. Labib lost to his countryman, Omar Said, in five games scored 11-8, 11-4, 5-11, 7-11, and 4-11.
In the next day’s semi-final round, Iqbal lost to the tournament’s #4, England’s Sam Todd, in four games. Iqbal dropped the first two games 8-11 and 9-11 before rallying to win the third 11-9. He then lost 7-11 in the final game. Just after, Salazar and Said squared off; Said took the first game 11-5 before Salazar struck back in the second and won it 9-11. Said recovered and won the next two games 3-11 and 8-11.
Todd and Said matched up in Apr. 5’s final at an hour past noon. In a five set barnburner, Said took the first game 11-8 before Todd took the second 4-11. Said avoided dropping a crucial game three by winning it 11-7 but could not seal the deal in the fourth game — Todd won it 3-11. However, Said won the tournament deciding fifth game 11-6 to conclude the tournament in a 71 minute marathon of a match.
