Arnold and Zaman create major upsets at Optasia

Islamabad (Web Desk) – Day two of the Optasia Championships 2026 delivered thrilling action as Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold and Pakistan’s Noor Zaman pulled off major upsets to secure spots in the Gold level quarter-finals.

Arnold faced off against local favourite and No.7 seed Jasmine Hutton at the iconic Wimbledon Club. The Malaysian star stormed to an early 6-1 lead in the opening game and eventually edged out Hutton 10-4. Despite Hutton’s comeback attempts, Arnold clinched the match in a nail-biting tiebreak, winning 12-10 in the third game.

“I came into it trying to stay confident and take it point by point. Jaz played really well, but I focused on the front corners and I’m happy to get through,” Arnold said after her win.

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Pakistan’s Noor Zaman was equally impressive, defeating Mexico’s Leonel Cardenas in just 32 minutes. Zaman dominated from the start, testing Cardenas with sharp attacks into the front corners, and sealed his victory in straight games 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 to move into the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, women’s top seed Hania El Hammamy began her title defence with a straight-games win over England’s Torrie Malik. Former World Champions Diego Elias and Karim Gawad also advanced, while Youssef Ibrahim marked his return with a victory over compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar. Satomi Watanabe and Amanda Sobhy secured comfortable wins to set up their quarter-final clash.

Key Results: Optasia Championships 2026

Men’s Round Two:

• [3] Diego Elias (PER) bt Jonah Bryant (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 2-0 ret. (30m)
• Noor Zaman (PAK) bt [8] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (32m)
• [5] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 18-16, 11-4, 7-11, 4-2 ret. (70m)
• [2] Karim Gawad (EGY) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 (38m)

Women’s Round Two:

• [1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-2, 11-5 (35m)
• Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt [7] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 (35m)
• [5] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 3-11, 11-4, 11-3 (38m)
• [3] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (34m)