LAHORE, July 28: Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and Mari Gas, as expected, cruised into final of the first national squash team championship after winning their respective semifinals by identical margins 2-1 at the Punjab Squash Complex on Monday.

PIA defeated Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Top seed Mansoor Zaman gave PIA a flying start when he outgunned national junior champion Safeer Khan in straight games 9-3, 9-3, 9-3.

The left-hander Mansoor displayed his true game giving no chance to the far junior rival Safeer. Mansoor took only 21 minutes to prove his supremacy.

Pakistan No. 8 Arshad Iqbal Burki helped PIA to surge ahead 2- 0 when his rival Naveed Atlas decided to forfeit the match in the fourth game due to cramp. The score in Arshad’s favour was 7-9, 9-3, 9-1, retd.

Naveed started the match on a fast note and won the first game. But Arshad was back to his best and and won the next two games comfortably before Naveed decided to retire.

Pakistan No.13 Farhan Mehboob of PAF created the biggest upset of the competition when he humbled Pakistan No. 2 Shahid Zaman in the third match 10-8, 9-0 to give PAF a consolation win. As the semifinal’s result had already been decided with PIA winning the first two matches, the third encounter had been reduced to best of three.

Farhan stunned Shahid by winning the first game after a close contest 10-8. It seemed Shahid, after losing the first game had given up the fight and lost the second game without gaining a point.

Mari Gas beat Army in the second prefinals. Shahnawaz dropped a game before overcoming Asghar Ali Khan 3-1 one in the first match to give Mari Gas 1-0 lead.

Shahnawaz won 9-3, 5-9, 9-1, 9-4 in a match lasting 58 minutes. It was the match between two equal talented players. 

Shahnawaz ranked 20 got off to a fine start beating national seeded 19th Asghar in the first game which lasted only seven minutes. Asghar fought back and made it 1-1 by winning the second game.

But he failed to make a match from it as Shahnawaz was on rampage winning the next two games easily. Mari Gas made their position strong when 10th seed Khayal Muhammad powered his way past 15th seed Khalid Atlas in a match which was full of long rallies.

Khayal won 9-5, 10-9, 9-2 to increase his team lead to 2-0. The match also continued for 58 minutes.

The ninth seed Zubair Ali Khan outplayed Farrukh Zaman to give Army some consolation. He won with the score of 4-9, 10-8, 9-6.

Farrukh made a good start and won the first game rather easily. Zubair fought back to win the next two games for a deserved victory.

PIA and Mari Gas will play the final on Monday at 4.30pm.

Earlier, Army will take on PAF third and fourth position match at 10.30am.

Results:

PIA bt PAF 2-1: Mansoor Zaman (PIA) bt Safeer Khan (PAF) 9-3, 9-3, 9-3; Arshad Iqbal Burki (PIA) bt Naveed Atlas (PAF) 7-9, 9-3, 9-1 (retd.); Farhan Mahboob (PAF) bt Shahid Zaman (PIA) 10-8, 9-0.

Mari Gas bt Army 2-1: Shahnawaz (Mari Gas) bt Asghar Ali Khan (Army) 9-3, 5-9, 9-1, 9- 4; Khayal Mohammad (Mari Gas) bt Khalid Atlas (Army) 9-5, 10-9, 9-2; Zubair Ali Khan (Army) bt Farrukh Zaman (Mari Gas) 4-9, 10- 8, 9-6.