Pakistan Open: Six Pakistan players reach main round

KARACHI: Six Pakistani players have entered the main rounds of Pakistan Open Men’s Squash Championship.

Syed Ali Bukhari, Kashif Asif, Waqar Mehboob, Shah Jahan Khan, Shoaib Hassan and Asim Khan won their second qualifying round matches at Mushaf Squash Complex in Islamabad on Monday.

Bukhari recovered from a set down to beat compatriot Danish Atlas by 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6.Kashif also recovered from a set down to eliminate famous Hollywood star Sean Connery’s namesake by 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8.

Waqar defeated compatriot Raees Khan by 11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6. Shahjahan Khan thrashed Faraz Muhammad by 11-7, 11-6, 11-2.Portugal’s Rui Soares recovered from a set down to beat Pakistan’s Waqas Mehboob by 6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9.

Pakistan’s Shoaib Hassan won the longest game of the day, beating compatriot Zeeshan Khan by 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-2 in 55 minutes. Asim took only 29 minutes to elbow out compatriot Sadam Ul Haq by 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.

Adeen Idrakie of Malaysia dispatched local player Bilal Zakir by 11-7, 11-9, 11-9. Meanwhile, four matches were also played in the CAS International Women Squash Championship in which Enora Villard, Nouran El Torky, Hana Moataz and Hana Ramadan defeated their opponents to book their place in the main draw.

France’s Enora Villard dropped a set before beating Farah Momen of Egypt by 11-9, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6.Egyptian Nouran El Torky thrashed Nadia Pfister of Switzerland, registering straight-set 11-5, 17-15, 11-1 victory in 30 minutes.Another Egyptian Hana Moataz took only 17 minutes to outclass Irish Arezoosadat Mousavizadeh by 11-1, 11-5, 11-6.

Hana Ramadan, another Egyptian player, overpowered India’s Sachika Ingale by 11-6, 11-7, 12-10. The main round will commence from Tuesday (today).As many as 48 international players from various countries along with Pakistani players are participating in both the events. In men’s event, Marwan El Shorbagy from Egypt is the top seed, whereas Annie Au from Hong Kong has been seeded first in CAS Women International Championship.

The semi-finals and the finals will be played from December 21 to 23. Pakistan Open Squash Championship carries a prize purse of $50,000. It has returned to the squash circuit after a lapse of ten years. CAS Women International Championship carries prize purse of $25,000. The event has attracted top-ranking female squash players.