Amna upsets applecart as Pakistan Open begins with a bang

KARACHI: It could have been a gloomy opening day for the host country but young wildcard Amna Fayyaz brightened it up for local fans when she caused the biggest upset of the Pakistan Open Squash Championships here at the DHA Asif Nawaz Squash Complex on Wednesday.

On a day when most of her male counterparts fell by the wayside in the US$53,000 men’s event of the Pakistan Open, Amna dazzled in her first round match against 9/16 seeded Serbian Jelenia Dutina, winning it in straight games.

Amna, who is one of the most promising youngsters in the country, took just 30 minutes to knock out Jelenia 11-6, 13-11, 12-10 to ensure some Pakistani presence in the next stage of the women’s championship which carries a prize purse of US$18,000.

She was joined in the second round by seeded compatriot Madina Zafar, who defeated compatriot Zoya Khalid 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 in just 16 minutes.In the men’s event, Tayyab Aslam was the sole Pakistani survivor after winning a marathon five-game battle against compatriot Asim Khan.

In the match that lasted for 74 minutes, the unseeded Asim gave the higher-rated Tayyab a run for his money. It was a see-saw encounter with Asim drawing first blood by winning the opening two games 13-11 and 11-9. But Tayyab bounced back with a vengeance, displaying nerves of steel to win the next three games 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 to enter into the next round of the tournament.

Imran Ismail, Governor Sindh, was the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the tournament which is being held in Karachi for the first time since 2005. Others present at the ceremony were squash legend Jahangir Khan, Secretary Creek Club Brigadier Iftikhar Ahmed and Secretary Sindh Squash Association Rashid Ahmad.

Following are the results:

Men’s first round:

[9/16] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt Asim Khan (PAK) 11-13, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 (74 mins)

[9/16] Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 11-7, 11-8, 14-12 (35 mins)

[9/16] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt [WC] Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 (29 mins)

Shehab Essam (EGY) bt [9/16] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9 (50 mins)

[9/16] Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-5, 11-9, 11-13 11-4 (38 mins)

[9/16] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt [WC] Noman Khan (PAK) 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 11-3 (33 mins)

[9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6 (52 mins)

[9/16] Joshua Masters (ENG) bt Ahmed Hosny (EGY) 11-8, 11-4, 11-7 (25 mins)

Women’s first round:

[WC] Amna Fayyaz (PAK) bt [9/16] Jelenia Dutina (SRB) 11-6, 13-11, 12-10 (30 mins)

[9/16] Wen Li Lai (MAS) bt Anam Mustafa Aziz (PAK) 11-2, 11-4, 11-5 (11 mins)

[9/16] Enora Villard (FAR) bt [WC] Noor ul Huda (PAK) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (14 mins)

[9/16] Aika Azman (MAS) bt Sadia Gul (PAK) 11-4, 8-2 Rtd. (11 mins)

[9/16] Eva Fertekova (CZE) bt Riffat Khan (PAK) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (26 mins)

[9/16] Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) bt Arezoosadat Mousavizadeh (IRI) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 (17 mins)

[9/16] Madina Zafar (PAK) bt Zoya Khalid (PAK) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (16 mins)

Farah Momen (EGY) bt [9/16] Salma Youssef (EGY) 11-8, 11-8, 3-11, 11-8 (30 mins).