ISLAMABAD, July 16: Defending champion Carla Khan, who arrived in Islamabad from Britain only on Tuesday, swept into the semifinals of the PC Bhurban National Women’s Squash Championship on Wednesday.

Carla started off with a 11-minute first round rout of Punjab’s Zeba Pervaiz winning 9-1, 9-0, 9-0 and then in the quarterfinals she defeated Sara Awan 9-4, 9-1, 9-1 in 15 minutes. In Thursday’s semifinals she will play Maria Gul, a 9-4, 9-1, 9-5 winner against Misbah Rani.

In another quarterfinal, Punjab’s Muqadas Ashraf carved out a 9-1, 9-2, 10-9, 9-1 victory over Saima Shaukat to set up a prefinal clash with Alia Sarfraz who beat Gul Zaman 9-3, 3-9, 9- 4, 9-2.

Results (first round): Carla Khan bt Zeba Pervaiz (Pb) 9-1, 9-0, 9-0; Sara Awan (Pb) bt Sadaf Haq (Sindh) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Misbah Rani (Pb) bt Humera Warsi (Sindh) 9-0, 9-1, 9-1; Maria Gul (PAF) bt Sumera Haq (Sindh) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Muqadas Ashraf (Pb) bt Mehwish Hanif (Pb) 1-9, 9-2, 9-2, 9-1; Saima Shaukat (Pb) bt Shafaq Naeem (Pb) 9-2, 9-1, 9-2; Gul Zaman (Pb) bt Nadia Aziz (Pb) 9-5, 9-1, 3-9, 9-7; Alia Sarfraz (Pb) bt Maria Gul (Sindh) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0.

Quarterfinals: Carla Khan bt Sara Awan (Pb) 9-4, 9-1, 9-1; Maria Gul (PAF) bt Misbah Rani (Pb) 9-4, 9-1, 9-5; Muqadas Ashraf (Pb) bt Saima Shaukat (Pb) 9-1, 9-2, 10-9, 9-1; Alia Sarfraz (Pb) bt Gul Zaman (Pb) 9-3, 3-9, 9-4, 9-2.