KARACHI, Oct 29: Pakistan number one Shahid Zaman will be looking to salvage his pride when he will feature in the US Open Squash Championship in Boston, USA, early next month.

Shahid, a world number 16, was stunned in the first round of the Motorcity Open in Detroit (USA) earlier this week by French qualifier Jean Michael Arcucci and would be aiming for a better show in the US Open to be held from Nov 4 to 8.

It is one of the major events On the North American leg of the World Squash Tour and carries a prize purse of US$50,000.

Shahid is seeded eighth in the competitions and has been drawn against England’s Bradley Ball in the opening rounds of the tournament.

He is then expected to meet one of the event’s highest-ranked players, Lee Beachill of England in the quarterfinals.

Beachill is seeded third in the event.

Canada’s world number two Jonathon Power is the top seed in the tournament and will meet a qualifier in the opening round.

He is expected to meet second seed David Palmer of Australia in the final.

The Quetta-born Shahid is the only Pakistani player to get an Entry in this year’s US Open men’s event.

He has been in awful form this season and has failed to go beyond the second round of any major event that he has taken part in on the World Tour.

But he will not be the only Pakistani player to take part in the US Open as former national champion Carla Khan has also received a direct entry in the main rounds of the women’s competition.

Carla, a world number 23, is the eighth seed in the women’s US Open which carries a purse of US$24,000.

The London-based Carla will meet Egypt’s Engy Khairallah in the opening rounds of the tournament.—PPI