September 30, 2003	Tuesday	Sha’aban 3, 1424

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KARACHI, Sept 29: Pakistan number two Shahid Zaman continued his poor run on the international circuit when he lost on the opening day of the British Open squash championship’s qualifying rounds in Nottingham on Sunday.

According to the results of the event made available here, Nottingham-based Irishman John Rooney pulled off the biggest upset on the first day of the tournament at Nottingham Squash Club in England when he beat Shahid Zaman, ranked 47 places higher in the world, in straight games.

Spurred on by local supporters, Rooney beat world No. 34 Shahid 17-15, 15-8, 15-10 in 45 minutes - and now faces Nottingham club-mate Simon Parke, the world No. 18 who is a ‘veteran’ of 12 British Open appearances since making his debut in 1989.

Pakistan interest in the qualifying event was kept alive by Shahid’s cousin Farrukh Zaman who took 87 minutes to overcome Belgium’s Peter Pastijn 13-15, 15-5, 15-7, 15-17, 15-7.

The world No. 41 from Peshawar now meets England’s world No. 22 Adrian Grant, who was a straight games winner over compatriot Duncan Walsh.

After the qualifying finals on Tuesday, the 2003 British Open squash championships get underway on the state-of-the-art all-glass court at the Albert Hall in Nottingham from Oct 1-5.

Pakistan number one Mansoor Zaman, a world No. 15, is the only player from the country featuring directly in the main round of the US$45,000 tournament.

Results in the championship in men’s 1st qualifying round:

Alex Gough (WAL) bye Tommy Berden (NED) bt Ibrahim Gul (PAK) 15-9 15-3, 15-0 (21m); Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Joey Barrington (ENG) 15-9, 15-9, 11-15, 17-15 (98m); Del Harris (ENG) bt Michael Elford (ENG) 15-4, 15-7, 15-4 (36m); Nick Taylor (ENG) bye; Stephen Meads (ENG) bt Rob Aerts (BEL) 15-13, 15-1, 15-6 (35m); Dan Jenson (AUS) bt Mohammad Nasir Farooq (PAK) 15-8, 15-10, 15-4 (28m); Bradley Ball (ENG) bt Rizwan Farooq (PAK) 15-6, 15-11, 15-4 (24m); Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Abdul Razzaq (PAK) 15-6, 15-5, 15-2 (20m); Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Sam Miller (ENG) 15-5, 15-6, 15-4 (28m); Farrukh Zaman (PAK) bt Peter Pastijn (BEL) 13-15, 15-5, 15-7, 15-17,15-7 (87m); Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Duncan Walsh (ENG) 15-4, 15-7, 15-9 (45m); James Willstrop (ENG) bt Neil Reddington (ENG) 15-6, 15-5, 15-7 (30m); Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) 15-11, 15-4, 15-6 (32m); John Rooney (IRL) bt Shahid Zaman (PAK) 17-15, 15-8, 15-10 (45m); Simon Parke (ENG) bye.—PPI