Noor stuns another seeded player to enter squash semis

ISLAMABAD: Youngster Noor Zaman stunned yet another seeded player in the $12,000 DHA Islamabad International Squash Championship winning a five-game thriller at the Jacaranda Family Club (JFC) here.

Noor Zaman came back from a two-game deficit to take the next three and the match 11-13, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10 against Edwin Clain (France). The quarter-finals lasted for 50 minutes. Each game of the match was fought in a highly competitive way with Frenchman seen making good use of his experience to unsettle up and coming Pakistani player.

Noor, however, fought a neck and neck battle, making it tougher for Clain to get easy points. Second game also saw the same trend with Noor fighting hard but failing to unsettle the Frenchman.

The third game saw Noor making good use of his approach by unsettling Clain with some exciting nick and boast shots to get a clear ascendency. “I changed my strategy going into the third game and I succeeded in taking the attack back to the Frenchman,” Noor said.

The youngster carried with the same vein to win the fourth. The neck and neck fifth game was contested fiercely with Noor making it difficult for the Frenchman to earn points easily. Ultimately, Noor won the extended game to take the match and to join two other Pakistanis, top seed Asim Khan and Israr Ahmad. Noor however will take on Malaysian Addeen Iddrakie who got better of Yassin Elshafei (Egypt) 11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5 inside 41 minutes.

Asim will take on Israr in the first semis. Top seed was seen in ruthless form as he defeated Ahsan Ayaz (Pak) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 inside 33 minutes. Israr also played a commanding game as he managed an easy win against Seif Shenaway (Egypt) 11-9, 15-13, 11-5. The match lasted for 37 minutes.

Results: Asim Khan (Pak) bt Ahsan Ayaz (Pak) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5, Israr Ahmad (Pak) bt Seif Shenaway (Egy) 11-9, 15-13, 11-5, Addeen Iddrakie (Mas) bt Yassin Elshafei (Egy) 11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5 and Noor Zaman (Pak) bt Edwin Clain (Fra) 11-13, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9 and 12-10.