ISLAMABAD, March 9: Shahid Zaman and Mansoor Zaman booked their berths into the semifinals of the $25,000 Chief of the Army Staff Squash (COAS) championship with contrasting quarterfinal victories on Thursday.

While Shahid notched up a straightforward win over Khayal Mohammad Khan, his cousin Mansoor Zaman was fully stretched by a fighting Majid Khan.

Majid, a qualifier who downed the immensely talented Aamir Atlas Khan on Wednesday, showed great determination and stamina in the match that lasted about 50 minutes.

Mansoor, world 26, however played confidently and came back from a game down to win the next two before his opponent levelled the match by snatching a close fourth game.

But in the decider Mansoor, son of former great Qamar Zaman, was well in control and was able to wrap up the match 9-11, 11-5, 11- 5, 10-11, 11-5.

The hard-fought victory put Mansoor in the semifinal with Egypt’s Mohammad Abbas while Shahid drew another Egyptian in the tournament, Ramy Ashour.

Shahid, the No. 17, did not have to work too hard in going past Khayal Mohammad Khan, who along with Aamir Atlas will form the Pakistan’s doubles team at this month’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Khayal was never expected to beat Shahid who edged Yasir Butt in the first round Wednesday and went down 7-11, 9-11, 5-11 at the Mushaf Squash Comlex.

Shahid and Mansoor will be representing Pakistan in the individual event at the forthcoming Games Down Under.

The 20th-ranked Abbas quickly dispatched Indian Ritwik Bhattacharya in his quarterfinal 11-3, 11-1, 11-8 in a clash of the foreigners.

Already short on foreign players with only three making the main round, Bhattacharya’s exit left only the Egyptian duo to continue giving a bit of an international touch to the championship.

In one of the easiest quarterfinals of the day, Ashour the No 30, brushed aside Arshad Iqbal Burki 11-2, 11-1, 11-4 as the Egyptian 0 - ? continued his ruthless form that had seen him thrash Amjad Khan in the opening round.

Results: Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt Arshad Iqbal Burki 11-2, 11-1, 11- 4, Mansoor Zaman bt Majid Khan 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 10-11, 11-5, Shahid Zaman bt Khayal Muhammad Khan 11-7, 11-9, 11-5, Muhammad Abbas (Egy) bt Ritwik Bhattacharya 11-3, 11-1, 11-8.

Semifinals (Friday): Mansoor Zaman v Muhammad Abbas (Egy) at 2.30pm, Shahid Zaman v Ramay Ashour (Egy) at 4.30pm.