(updated 31-jul-10 11:36

Zaman Holds Back Egyptian Advance In Quito

Egypt's bid to become the first country for 20 years to claim all four semi-final berths in the Men's World Junior Squash Championship was halted by Farhan Zaman when the 9/16 seed from Pakistan beat giant-killer Mohamed El Sherbini in four games in the quarter-finals of the World Squash Federation event at the El Condado Shopping Mall in the Ecuador capital Quito.

It was a determined performance by the 17-year-old from Peshawar who had upset Mexico's No7 seed Miled Zarazua to reach the last eight. Celebrating his third appearance in the championship, Zaman battled for four games to overcome El Sherbini, 17, from Alexandria, 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7.

El Sherbini, a cousin of 14-year-old former women's world junior champion Nour El Sherbini, was only seeded to reach the last 32 - but made his breakthrough in the championship after upsetting France's third seed Lucas Serme in the third round.

Zaman now faces a Cairo-based Egyptian Ali Farag for a place in the final. Second seed Farag ended English interest in the event by beating eighth seed Charles Sharpes 11-8, 11-7, 11-4.

The other semi-final will be an all-Egyptian affair between favourite Amr Khaled Khalifa and outsider Marwan El Shorbagy.

Khalifa, the 17-year-old world No94 from Cairo, brushed aside sixth-seeded Indian Aditya Jagtap 11-5, 11-2, 11-2, while El Shorbagy, a 9/16 seed, continued his unscheduled march through the event by despatching fellow countryman Ali Ashraf El Karargy 11-6, 11-6, 11-7.

El Shorbagy, 17, from Alexandria, is only two rounds away from creating championship history by becoming the first brother of a former champion to win the title. His illustrious older sibling Mohamed El Shorbagy, now ranked 13 in the world, is the reigning champion after last year becoming only the second player in history to win the title a second time.

RESULTS: World Junior Championship, Quito, Ecuador
Quarter-finals:
[1] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) bt [6] Aditya Jagtap (IND) 11-5, 11-2, 11-2
[9/16] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [17/32] Ali Ashraf El Karargy (EGY) 11-6, 11-6, 11-7
[9/16] Farhan Zaman (PAK) bt [17/32] Mohamed El Sherbini (EGY) 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [8] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 11-4

 

Semi-final line-up:
[1] Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) v [9/16] Marwan El Shorbagy (EGY)
[2] Ali Farag (EGY) v [9/16] Farhan Zaman (PAK)