May 2, 2003	Friday	Safar 29, 1424

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LAHORE, May 1: Mansoor Zaman was the only home player to reach the semifinals of the International Squash Tournament after beating Muhammad Abbas of Egypt in a well-contested five game quarterfinal at the Punjab Squash Complex on Thursday.

The Egyptians dominated the championship by occupying the remaining three spot of the semifinals. However, Mansoor denied the Egyptians clean sweep. The World No 14, Mansoor who had beaten Wal El Hindi another Egyptian in the first match, took one hour to oust the spirited Abbas, world ranked 23, with the score of 15-7, 11-15, 4-15, 15- 11, 15-13.

Abbas was at the verge to create an upset when he had staged a comeback after losing the first game. He went ahead 2-1 by winning next two games. Abbas was 7-4 ahead in the fourth game too.

 But Mansoor, the top seed of Pakistan stopped the further march of Abbas with his fine stroke play and excellent court craft. He caught up the Egyptians at 8-8 before grabbing the crucial fourth game which restored the parity 2-2.

In the fifth game, a keen battle continued for each point. Mansoor got off to a fine start and built up 6-3 lead.

Abbas levelled the score twice 8-8 and then 10-all before Mansoor won the decisive game and keep up chances of Pakistan in the competition.

The only other Pakistani qualified for the quarterfinals was the giant-killer Arshad Iqbal Burki. But he was easily defeated by Omar Elborolossy (Egypt) in straight three games 15- 13, 15-13, 15-7 in 47 minutes.

Arshad, a qualifier who created an upset the previous day by toppling the World No 31 Shahid Zaman (Pakistan), had no answer to the Egyptian’s dominance.

Top seed and World No 9, Karim Darwish maintained his unbeaten run to make the last four. Darwish crushed the World No 27 England’s Adrian Grant 15-7, 15-8, 15-3 in only 28 minutes.

 Darwish who had beaten Azlan Askandar of Malaysia also in three games on first day, proved too good for Grant giving him no chance to make it an issue.

The third Egyptian who cruised into the semifinals was the World No 16, Amar Shabana who defeated the World No 35, Dan Jenson (Australia) in a four games match 13-15, 15-5, 15-11, 15- 11.

Going 0-1 down, Shabana fought back gallantly and won the next three games, giving no further benefit for the player Down Under. The match took 52 minutes.

RESULTS (QUARTERFINALS): Karim Darwish (Egypt) bt Adrian Grant (England) 15-7, 15-8, 15-3. Amar Shabana (Egypt) bt Dan Jenson (Australia) 13-15, 15-5, 15- 11, 15-11; Mansoor Zaman (Pakistan) bt Muhammad Abbas (Egypt) 15-7, 11-15, 4-15, 15-11, 15-13;O mar Elborolossy (Egypt) bt Arshad Iqbal Burki (Pakistan) 15-13, 15-13, 15-7.

Today’s matches (semifinals). Karim Darwish v Omar Elborolossy 3 p.m.; Mansoor Zaman v Amar Shabana 4 p.m.