KARACHI: Second seed Uzair Shaukat survived a scare before overcoming unseeded Naveed Rehman in a five-game thriller to make it to the boys’ under-19 final of the eighth Rehana Nazar National Junior Squash Championship in Tando Allahyar on Tuesday.

Shaukat conquered 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5 to set a title clash with top seed Zeeshan Zaib who accounted for Shehzad Ali Khan straight 11-1, 11-8, 11-4 in other semi-final encounter.

Earlier, both Shaukat and Zaib won their quarters in the same fashion.

While Shaukat struggled to get the better of Hamza Sharif 2-10, 9-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-3, Zaib sent Moaz Khan packing 11-6, 11-3, 11-4.

Top seed Amna Fayyaz and fourth seed Noor-ul-Ain Ejaz were through to the girls’ under-19 final in contrasting way. While Amna whipped unseeded Komal Khan 15-13, 11-3, 11-9 Noor-ul-Ain won against Ilsa Imran by default after the latter retired hurt trailing 0-4 in first game.

The event concludes on Wednesday.

Results:

Boys under-19:

Semi-finals: Zeeshan Zaib (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Shehzad Ali Khan (Punjab) 11-1, 11-8, 11-4; Uzair Shaukat (PAF) bt Naveed Rehman (Sindh) 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5.

Quarter-finals: Zeeshan Zaib (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Moaz Khan (Punjab) 11-6, 11-3, 11-4; Shehzad Ali Khan (Punjab) bt Saqib Iqbal (PAF) 11-8, 11-9, 2-11, 9-11, 13-11; Naveed Rehman (Sindh) bt Ahmad Hassan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 11-6, 11-2, 11-6; Uzair Shukat (PAF) bt Hamza Sharif 12-10, 9-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-3.

Boys under-13:

Semi-finals: Anas Bukhari (Punjab) bt Humam Ahmed (PAF) 11-9, 11-8, 11-4; M..Hanif (PAF) bt Mehmood Mehboob (Punjab) 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7..

Quarter-finals: Anas Bukhari (Punjab) bt M. Ali (Sindh) 11-4, 11-3, 11-8; Humam Ahmed (PAF) bt Zuraiz Naeem (Punjab) 11-9, 11-4, 11-4; Mehmood Mehboob (Punjab) bt Sakhiullah Tareen (PAF) 11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8; M. Hanif (PAF) bt Saboor Khan (PAF) 11-8, 7-11, 11-1, 11-9.

Boys under-11:

Semi-finals: M. Zaman (Sindh) bt M. Abdullah Arslan (Punjab) 15-13, 11-6, 11-4; Obaiullah Afzal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Saifullah Tareen (PAF) 11-8, 11-8, 11-5.

Quarter-finals: M. Zaman (Sindh) bt Ibrahim Zaib (PAF) 11-9, 11-7, 11-5; M. Abdullah Arsalan (Punjab) bt Saim Asif (Punjab) 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9; Ubaidullah Afzal (Punjab) bt Adnan Zaman (Sindh) 11-2, 11-3, 11-5; Saifullah tareen (PAF) bt Azaan Ali (Punjab) 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 11-9.

Girls under-19:

Semi-finals: Amna Fayyaz (PIA) bt Komal Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 15-13, 11-3, 11-9; Noor-ul-Ain Ejaz (SNGPL) bt Ilsa Imran (Sindh) 4-0 (retired).

Quarter-finals: Amna Fayyaz (PIA) bt Zainab Khan (Sindh) 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5; Komal Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) bt Fehmina Asim (Sindh) 11-8, 11-4, 11-8; Noor-ul- Ain Ejaz (SNGPL) bt Nimra Aqeel (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 11-8, 11-3, 11-3; Ilsa Imran (Sindh) bt Aiman Shahbaz (SNGPL) 11-3, 10-12, 11-9, 11-9.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2019