KARACHI, Oct 10: Led by teenager Amir Atlas Khan Pakistani players gave good performance on the opening day of the British open squash championships’ qualifying rounds in Manchester on Sunday.

According to the results of the competition made available here, Pakistani players secured five places in the qualifying finals, three of which will

be England against Pakistan affairs.

The youngest player to survive was Pakistan’s Amir, the 15-year-old Asian junior champion who beat compatriot Safeer Ullah Khan 7-11, 11-10, 11-5, 11-7 and will now face England’s Ben Garner for a place in the main draw.

Other Pakistani players who won their opening qualifying round were Farhan Mehboob, Shamsul Islam Khan, Farrukh Zaman and Yasir Butt.

English players dominated the action on the opening day of qualifying in the Dunlop British Open Squash Championships at the National Squash Centre in Manchester, with Guernsey junior Chris Simpson achieving the biggest upset in the men’s event to claim one of six English slots in the men’s qualifying finals.

Simpson, the reigning European junior champion who is ranked 178 in the world, toppled India’s Ritwik Bhattacharya - a winner of three PSA Tour titles this year and ranked more than 100 places higher - 11-8 11-10 11-10 in 41 minutes. The Brighton-based 18-year-old now faces Italy’s Davide Bianchetti for a place in Tuesday’s first round draw.

Meanwhile, Pakistan number one Carla Khan recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory in the first qualifying round of the women’s British Open Squash championship on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Carla outclassed Maud Duplomb of France 9-3, 9-4, 9-0 in just 27 minutes to enter the qualifying finals.

Men’s first qualifying round results: Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Tom Pashley (ENG) 11-4, 11-10 (4-2), 11-5 (34m); Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) bt Simon Carruthers (AUS) 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (66m); Phillip Barker (ENG) bt Scott Handley (ENG) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 (40m); Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Ramy Ashour (EGY) 11-8, 11-4, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7 (48m); Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt John Rooney (IRL) 11-6, 4-0 ret. (14m); Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 (39m); Ben Garner (ENG) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-4, 11-5,11-9 (28m); Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) 7-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5, 11-7 (49m); Farrukh Zaman (PAK) bt Laurent Elriani (FRA) 7-11,11-6, 11-7, 2-11, 11-8 (59m); Alister Walker (ENG) bt Abdul Basit Uppal (PAK) 11-1,11-1, 11-1 (16m); Alex Stait (ENG) bt Lee Drew (ENG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9(34m); Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt Michel Zeinaty (LIB) 11-2,11-2, 11-7 (15m); Stacey Ross (ENG) bt Bradley Hindle (AUS) 11-5, 11-5,9-11, 11-2 (52m); Yasir Butt (PAK) bt Duncan Walsh (ENG) 11-7, 11-6,11-7 (28m); Chris Simpson (ENG) bt Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 11-8, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0) (41m); Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Arthur Gaskin (IRL) 11-1,11-9, 11-3 (31m).

Women’s first qualifying round results: Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt Charlotte Delsinne (FRA) 9-1,9-3, 9-0 (24m); Aisling Blake (IRL) bt Lauren Siddall (ENG) 9-2, 9-6,9-4 (37m); Tegwen Malik (WAL) bt Carrie Hastings (ENG) 9-0, 9-2,9-0 (15m); Orla Noom (NED) bt Jenna Gates (ENG) 9-0, 10-9, 10-9 (32m); Pamela Nimmo (SCO) bt Laura Hill (ENG) 9-3, 9-5, 9-2(44m; Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt Laurence Bois (FRA) 9-6, 9-0, 9-2 (18m); Amanda Hopps (AUS) bt Stephanie Brind (ENG) 9-1, 10-9, 9-7 (37m); Karen Kronemeyer (NED) bt Susannah King (ENG) 9-2, 9-0, 9-2 (22m); Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Camille Serme (FRA) 9-6, 9-0, 9-0 (31m); Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt Daniela Schumann (GER) 9-3, 9-3, 9-5 (34m); Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Dagmar Vermeulen (NED) 9-1, 9-0, 9-5 (21m); Laura-Jane Lengthorn (ENG) bt Celia Allamargot (FRA) 9-2, 9-1, 9-0 (20m); Rebecca Botwright (ENG) bt Soraya Renai (FRA) 9-1, 9-2, 9-5 (25m); Carla Khan (PAK) bt Maud Duplomb (FRA) 9-3, 9-4, 9-0 (27m); Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) bt Kirsty McPhee (ENG) 9-3, 9-3, 9-3 (27m); Alison Waters (ENG) bt Fiona Moverley (ENG) 9-0, 9-1, 9-1 (15m).—Agencies