07 January 2004	Wednesday	14 Ziqa'ad 1424

KARACHI, Jan 6: Pakistan's top seed Farhan Mahboob was one step away from defending the British Junior Open squash championship under-17 crown when he defeated England's Chris Simpson in the semifinals in Sheffield on Monday.

According to the results of the tournament made available here, the Peshawar-born Farhan took 60 minutes to overcome the third seeded Simpson 9-3, 9-6, 9-10, 9-2 to reach the final.

Farhan, a nephew of former world champion Jansher Khan, will meet second seeded Egyptian Omar Mosaad Abou Zeid who defeated Simon Rosner of Germany 10-8, 9-2, 10-9 in a 69-minute encounter

The last home hopes of male success in the tournament slipped away as Delasaux of Yorkshire, second seeded for the Under-19 Drysdale Cup, fell 9-5 9-1 10-8 in a 53 minute semifinal to India's fifth seeded Saurav Ghosal.

The Drysdale Cup final will feature Ghosal against another low seed, Mahmoud Adel El Said of Egypt.

The Under-15 final will feature the two top seeds, Mohamed Reda of Egypt and Amir Atlas Khan of Pakistan, and the Under-13 final will be between the third seeded Waqar Mehboob of Pakistan and the fifth seeded Adel Zarka of Egypt.

All three of the Pakistani finalists, Farhan, Amir and Waqar, are cousins and two of their uncles Jansher and former world number two Mohibullah Khan Jr were once among the best players in the world.

In the girls championships Myriam Hardy of Essex is the last remaining home contender in a sea of Egyptian talent. Hardy, the fifth seed for the Girls Under-15 title, defeated Misaki Kobayashi of Japan 9-3 9-3 9-1 in a 23 minute quarterfinal at Hallamshire Squash Club and will meet the top seeded Shahenda Osama of Egypt in the semifinals, while the other semifinal will feature Annie Au Wing Chi of Hong Kong and Wee Wern Low of Malaysia in a replay of last week's Scottish Open Under-15 final.

Egypt's Omneya Abdel Kawy is on course for her fourth successive Under-19 title in the event in a final tomorrow against Joshna Chinappa, the third seeded Indian who last week lost the Scottish Open final to England's Susie Pierrepont.

Rachel Willmott of Sussex lost a 60 minute semifinal of the Girls Under-17 championship 9-4 9-2 7-9 5-9 9-7 to Sarah Badr, the top seeded, who will now meet the second seeded Raneem El Welily in an all-Egyptian final, while the four way Egyptian battle in the Girls Under-13 semifinals resolved to a final between the top seeded Heba Alaa Ahmed and the second seeded Merhan Mahmoud.

Monday's Results:

Boys U-19 semifinals: Mahmoud Adel El Said {Egypt} bt Jose Angel Becerril {Mexico} 9-5, 7-9, 6-9, 9-5, 9-4; Saurav Ghosal {India} bt Laurence Delasaux (England) 9-5, 9-1, 10-8

Boys U-17 semifinals: Farhan Mehboob {Pakistan} b Chris Simpson {England} 9-3, 9-6, 9-10, 9-2; Omar Mosaad Abou Zeid {Egypt} bt Simon Rosner {Germany} 10-8, 9-2, 10-9

Boys U-15 semifinals: Mohamed Reda {Egypt} bt Au Leo {Hong Kong} 9-2, 9-6, 9-2; Amir Atlas Khan {Pakistan} bt Nicolas Muller {Switzerland} 9-1, 9-1, 9-4

Quarterfinals: Mohamed Reda {Egypt} bt Michael Harris {England) 9-0, 9-0, 9-1; Au Leo {Hong Kong} bt Harinder Pal Singh {India} 3-9, 7-9, 9-6, 9-4, 9-0; Nicolas Muller {Switzerland} bt Karim Osman {Egypt} 9-7, 9-0, 9-4; Amir Atlas Khan {Pakistan} bt Petr Martin {Czech} 9-0, 9-1, 9-3

Boys U-13 semifinals: Waqar Mehboob {Pakistan} b Mohamed Hossam {Egypt} 10-9, 9-3, 9-5; Adel Zarka {Egypt} bt Ali Farag {Egypt} 9-5, 7-9, 9-7, 5-9, 9-4.-PPI