Zahir stuns top seed to enter squash tourney quarters

KARACHI: Qualifier Zahir Shah pulled off a sensational upset when he beat top seed Tayyab Aslam in straight sets in the first round of the 7th PARCO Roshan Khan Open Squash Tournament 2017 at RKJK Squash Complex, Fleet Club, here on Wednesday.

Zahir recorded a convincing 11-8, 12-10, 11-9 victory in 42 minutes to secure an unexpected place in the quarter-finals.

He will face PIA’s Ahsan Ayaz, who defeated qualifier Waqas Mehboob of PAF 11-7, 11-9, 11-4 in 31 minutes. Another qualifier Kashif Asif of SNGPL also made it to the quarter-finals after beating Faraz Muhammad of Navy 13-11, 11-8, 11-2 in 36 minutes.

Unseeded Ali Bukhari stunned third seed Asim Khan of SNGPL 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7 in 47 minutes. Fourth seed Israr Ahmed of SNGPL was given tough time by qualifier Abbas Shaukat of Army before he bounced back to register a 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 triumph in 56 minutes.

Wildcard Noman Khan of Sindh overpowered Waqar Mehboob of ZTBL after recovering from a set down to record a 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 victory in 32 minutes.

Army’s Sadam-ul-Haq overwhelmed teammate Bilal Zakir in a see-saw battle 17-15, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6 in 49 minutes. 

Second seed Amaad Fareed of SNGPL thrashed Army’s Raees Khan in straight sets 15-13, 11-5, 11-1 in 30 minutes.