CAS International Squash 2005

Amjad Khan Falls Short but Compatriots Shine [Main Draw]

Pakistan had the kind of good day in the first round of this year's CAS Islamabad Pro event that the National Squash fandom is used to. With two Pakistani qualifiers upsetting international regulars from Malaysia (Ong Beng Hee) and Egypt (Hisham Ashour), Pakistan earned five of the eight quarterfinal berths in this Islamabad event. The only disappointment came for Amjad Khan, a former top-15 player who was focused on showing the world squash establishment, and the locals, that he still belongs in the International picture. Amjad fell victim to a strong performance by England's Adrian Grant.

Pakistan's 15-year-old junior sensation, Aamir Atlas Khan caused the biggest squash upset of the year when he beat world No18 Ong Beng Hee, runner-up in the $25,000 PSA Tour event last year, in today's (Wednesday) first round of the CAS International in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The upset was a major blow for the top-seeded Malaysian - whose defeat was the first by a player outside the world top 60 for more than four years.

Aamir, a qualifier, is the reigning Asian Junior Champion. But it took him just 26 minutes to rout Beng Hee, the senior Asian champion, 11-10 11-5 11-5 and earn a shock place in the quarter-finals.

His next opponent Safeer Ullah Khan also engineered an upset when he dismissed Egypt's seventh seed Mohamed Essam A Hafiz 11-9 11-8 11-6, also in 26 minutes. Safeer Ullah will hope to avenge his defeat by fellow Pakistani Aamir in March's COAS International, also in Islamabad.

It was an especially good day for the future of Pakistan squash – with two other young players ejecting seeds to take up unexpected places in the last eight.

Qualifier Majid Khan defeated Egypt's fifth seed Hisham Mohd Ashour 11-6 11-8 11-10, while unseeded 17-year-old Yasir Butt overcame compatriot Shamsul Islam Khan, the No8 seed, 11-9 6-11 11-10 11-4.

RESULTS: CAS International Squash Championship, Islamabad, Pakistan
1st round:
[Q] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-10 (2-0), 11-5, 11-5 (26m)
Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) bt [7] Mohamed Essam A Hafiz (EGY) 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (26m)
[4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt Gavin Jones (WAL) 11-4, 11-10 (2-0), 11-9 (24m)
[Q] Majid Khan (PAK) bt [5] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 11-6, 11-8, 11-10 (2-0) (26m)
Yasir Butt (PAK) bt [8] Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) 11-9, 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-4 (34m)
[3] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [Q] Basit Ashfaq (PAK) 11-3, 11-7, 11-6 (26m)
[6] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (20m)
[2] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [Q] Amjad Khan (PAK) 9-11, 11-1, 11-7, 11-8 (34m)

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