ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: Pakistani players were looking in menacing form as Safeer Khan, Shah Nawaz and Khalid Atlas swept their rivals aside to advance to the under-19 quarterfinals of the Junior British Open Squash Championship in Sheffield.

Safeer set up a clash in the last eight with Yorkshire’s Ashley Flathers after running over Iro Salomen of Finland in the second round and knocking out France’s Yenn Perrin in the third.

He defeated Salomen in straight games 9-0, 9-0, 9-4 and then blew his French rival away in virtually similar fashion 9-0, 9-4, 9-4.

Shah Nawaz and Khalid Atlas also collected victories in the second and third rounds but unfortunately found themselves pitted against one another in the quarters.

Shah Nawaz outpointed Oxford’s Kristen Johnson 9-2, 9-0, 10-8 in the second round and then added American Jullian Illingworth to his list of victims in his next outing, beating him 9-7, 2-9, 9-5, 9-7.

Khalid did not have much work to do as he quickly dispatched Jethro Bins of Wales 9-1, 9-0, 9-2 but had to draw all his energies in edging out his Kuwaiti opponent, Badr Al Hussaini in the third round 9-5, 3-9, 9-7, 7-9, 9-0.

There was more success for the Pakistanis as Yasir Butt and Farhan Mahboob checked into the under-17 quarterfinals.

Yasir was to take on England’s Joel Hinds in the last eight with Farhan meeting Egyptian Ahmed Gamal Swaify.

The passage to the quarters was not too tough for Farhan who defeated Egypt’s Ahmed Shohaybe 9-2, 9-2, 9-2 and beat Simon Rosner of Germany 9-6, 2-9, 9-2, 9-3 in the third round.

On the other hand Yasir’s second round victim was Rick Smet of Belgium who was put in place 9-3, 9-3, 9-2 and then it was Canadian Robin Clarke in the third who was beaten 9-1, 10-8, 9-3.

The under-15 players Alamzeb Jnr, Zahir Shah and Farzan Rashid also did well by scoring victories against their respective rivals to advance to the quarters.

It was a cakewalk for Alamzeb, who downed Edward Charlton of Nottinghamshire 9-1, 9-1, 9-0 and so it was for Zahir, a 9-2, 9- 1, 9-2 winner over Yorkshire’s Adam Taylor. Farzan’s task looked even more easier as he blanked Kyle McBride of Derbyshire 9-0, 9- 0, 9-0.

The under-13 players Adnan Khan and Amir Atlas were given second round byes.

Results:

Under-19 second round: Safeer Khan bt Iiro Salomen (Fin) 9-0, 9-0, 9-4, Shah Nawaz bt Kristen Johnson (Oxf) 9-2, 9- 0, 10-8, Khalid Atlas bt Jethro Bins (Wales) 9-1, 9-1, 9-2.

Under-19 third round: Safeer Khan bt Yenn Perrin (Fra) 9-0, 9-4, 9-4, Shah Nawaz bt Jullian Illingworth (US) 9-7, 2-9, 9-5, 9-7, Khalid Atlas bt Badr Al Hussaini (Kuw) 9-5, 3-9, 9-7, 7-9, 9-0

Under-19 quarterfinal pairings: Safeer Khan v Ashley Flathers (York), Shah Nawaz v Khalid Atlas

Under-17 second round: Yasir Butt bt Rick Smet (Bel) 9-3, 9- 3, 9-2, Farhan Mahboob bt Ahmed Shohaybe (Egy) 9-2, 9-2, 9-2

Under-17 third round: Yasir Butt bt Robin Clarke (Can) 9-1, 10-8, 9-3, Farhan Mahboob bt Simon Rosner (Ger) 9-6, 2-9, 9-2, 9- 3

Under-17 quarterfinal pairings: Yasir Butt v Joel Hinds (Derby), Farhan Mahboob v Ahmed Gamal Swaify (Egy).

Under-15: Alamzeb Jnr bt Edward Charlton (Nottinghamshire) 9- 1, 9-1, 9-0, Zahir Shah bt Adam Taylor (York) 9-2, 9-1, 9-2, Farzan Rashid bt Kyle McBride (Derby) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0.

Under-15 quarterfinal pairings: Alamzeb v Omar Abdel Meguid (Egy), Zahir Shah v Darran Healey (Somerset), Farzan Rashid v Harinder Pal Singh (Ind).