KARACHI: Fourth seed Israr Ahmed cruised to a straight sets victory over unseeded Ali Bukhari in the one-sided final to win the Rs0.5 million Parco seventh Roshan Khan Open Squash — 2017 at the Roshan Khan-Jahangir Khan Squash Complex on Saturday.

The final fell short of expectation as Ahmed of the Sui Nothern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) took just 20 minutes to register 11-4, 11-9, 11-1 victory against his opponent.

“This is second senior national ranking title of my career the first being at the Wah Cantt earlier this year after elevation from junior category,” an elated 20-year-old Ahmed told Dawn after the victory.

Ahmed, who stunned second seed Ammad Fareed in the semi-final on Friday, had many feathers in his cap as a junior player. His salient features among other includes winning the gold medal in the world junior team squash championship and a bronze in individual event at Poland, US junior champion and Asian junior champion titles.

About his future plans Ahmed said he will compete in the Hong Kong Open in September besides competing in some events at Canada and the US.

Lauding the performance of Bukhari he said the former has made a comeback in the circuit after long layoff due to injury.

“It was not my day though I had defeated third seed Asim Khan in the first round besides halting the giant -killing run of qualifier Zahir Shah in the semi-final,” Bukhari said.

Talking to Dawn, Bukhari said he has sustained shin problem after playing strenuous matches lasting abour an hour over the last three days.

The 23-year-old player from Lahore said he had won 33 national and 12 international titles in his decade-old career so far including Asian junior under-19 gold in 2013 and bronze in world junior in 2014.

At the outset, Ahmed conveniently won the first game 11-4 to surge 1-0 up in the match.

Bukhari tried to change the complexion of the match taking a commanding 7-1, 9-2 lead and was about to extend Ahmed when the latter raced on to win seven points in-a-row to drew level at nine-all before winning the game 11-9 to consolidate his position.

Ahmed wrapped up the match taking the third game 11-1 as Bokhari looked exhausted and gave up.

Ahmed received a winning purse of Rs95,000 and glittering trophy from the chief guest managing director Parco Tariq Rizavi amidst applause at the presentation ceremony that followed the final.

Bokhari earned runners-up cash award of Rs65,000 and a trophy.

Squash great Jahangir Khan, senior vice-president of the Paki­stan Squash Federation (PSF) Air Marshal Shahid Akhtar Alvi and Sindh Squash Association officials Rashid Ahmed and Syed Shah­jahan Salahuddin were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest said he was delighted to see that the event which was launched seven years back has blossomed and unearthing budding players.

He assured to continue his long association with the event names after former British Open champion the late Roshan Khan in future also.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2017