John Meehan reaches final of 2026 Independence Day Open

UNSQUASHABLE player John Meehan produced an impressive run to the final of the 2026 Independence Day Squash Open at Befit Eco in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, before finishing runner-up to Canada’s Salah Eltorgman.

Seeded eighth, John navigated a demanding draw with composure and determination, overcoming three higher-ranked opponents on his way to the championship match. His campaign began with a first-round bye before he dispatched Russia’s Makar Esin in straight games, winning 11-6 11-5 11-4 in 29 minutes.

The Scottish player faced a significantly tougher challenge in the quarter-finals against top seed Abdullah Hafez of Egypt. John was forced to recover from two occasions when Hafez levelled the match, ultimately holding his nerve in a tense fifth game to secure a 7-11 11-9 11-5 4-11 11-9 victory after 55 minutes.

That hard-fought success provided further evidence of John’s resilience and ability to perform under pressure. He carried that momentum into the semi-finals, where he produced one of his most convincing performances of the tournament against third seed Joeri Hapers of Belgium.

John established control early, taking the opening two games 11-5 and 11-4 before closing out the contest 12-10 in the third. The 45-minute victory earned him a place in the final and represented another significant win over a seeded opponent.

Standing between John and the title was second seed Salah Eltorgman. The Canadian initially found himself under pressure as John edged the opening game 11-9, but Eltorgman responded strongly to win the next two games 11-8 and 11-5.

John continued to compete fiercely in the fourth, but Eltorgman maintained his advantage during the crucial stages to secure an 11-8 victory and complete a 55-minute four-game win.

While the result ultimately denied John a maiden PSA title, reaching the final represented a highly encouraging tournament for the UNSQUASHABLE player. His run included victories over the No.1 and No.3 seeds and demonstrated both his consistency and competitive character across a demanding four-match campaign.

For John, the Independence Day Squash Open provides further momentum as he continues to establish himself on the PSA World Tour, with his performance in Tashkent underlining his ability to challenge some of the leading players in the draw.

2026 Independence Day Squash Open, Befit Eco, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Final:
[2] Salah Eltorgman (CAN) bt [8] John Meehan (SCO) 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 (55m)

Semi-Finals:
[8] John Meehan (SCO) bt [3] Joeri Hapers (BEL) 11-5, 11-4, 12-10 (45m)
[2] Salah Eltorgman (CAN) bt [4] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 11-7, 14-12, 11-2 (50m)

Quarter-Finals:
[8] John Meehan (SCO) bt [1] Abdullah Hafez (EGY) 7-11, 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 11-9 (55m)
[3] Joeri Hapers (BEL) bt [9/16] Ioan Sharpe (WAL) 11-6, 12-10, 11-6 (26m)
[4] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt [9/16] Shota Yasunari (JPN) 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (50m)
[2] Salah Eltorgman (CAN) bt [9/16] Seif Wael (KUW) 11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 11-4 (53m)

2nd Round:
[1] Abdullah Hafez (EGY) bt [9/16] Gianluca Bushell-O'Connor (AUS) 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (41m)
[8] John Meehan (SCO) bt [9/16] Makar Esin (RUS) 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
[9/16] Ioan Sharpe (WAL) bt [6] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 2-11, 11-4 (40m)
[3] Joeri Hapers (BEL) bt [9/16] Wilson Chan (HKG) 11-3, 11-2, 11-2 (22m)
[4] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt [9/16] Sepehr Etemadpoor (IRI) 11-4, 11-3, 10-12, 12-10 (58m)
[9/16] Shota Yasunari (JPN) bt [7] Anas Shah (PAK) 6-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8 (53m)
[9/16] Seif Wael (KUW) bt [5] Christopher Gordon (USA) 11-3, 11-3, 12-10 (32m)
[2] Salah Eltorgman (CAN) bt [9/16] Ismail Amr (EGY) 11-3 ret.

1st Round:
[1] Abdullah Hafez (EGY) bye
[9/16] Gianluca Bushell-O'Connor (AUS) bt Yakhyokhon Nazirov (UZB) 11-1, 11-3, 11-1 (20m)
[9/16] Makar Esin (RUS) bt Muhammad Mustafo Abdurakhmonov (UZB) 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 (25m)
[8] John Meehan (SCO) bye
[6] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) bye
[9/16] Ioan Sharpe (WAL) bt Georgiy Andreev (UZB) 11-1, 11-1, 11-0 (15m)
[9/16] Wilson Chan (HKG) bt Mikhail Skurikhin (RUS) w/o
[3] Joeri Hapers (BEL) bye
[4] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bye
[9/16] Sepehr Etemadpoor (IRI) bt Kaleem Shoaib (PAK) 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-6 (36m)
[9/16] Shota Yasunari (JPN) bt Timur Akybaev Alekseevich 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (24m)
[7] Anas Shah (PAK) bye
[5] Christopher Gordon (USA) bye
[9/16] Seif Wael (KUW) bt Maksim Stepanenko (UZB) 11-0, 11-4, 12-10 (14m)
[9/16] Ismail Amr (EGY) bt Botirjon Anvarjonov (UZB) 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-2 (17m)
[2] Salah Eltorgman (CAN) bye