ISLAMABAD: Pakistan veteran Nasir Iqbal booked a spot in the CAS International Squash Championship quarter-finals after beating Egypt’s Yassin Shohdy in a thriller here at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Tuesday.

After winning the first game comfortably, Nasir was stunned by Shohdy, who bounced back to take the next two games. The former, however, ensured he won the deciding game to complete a 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7 win over the Egyptian in a contest that lasted 48 minutes.

Second seed and world number 82 Noor Zaman was the other Pakistan player to triumph over an Egyptian and seal a place in the quarter-finals.

He got the better of Hazem Hossam in a four-game match, eventually winning it 12-10, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9 after 38 minutes of competition.

Pakistan’s Ashab Irfan, meanwhile, won against wildcard entrant Abullah Nawaz 10-12, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9. Another wildcard entrant in veteran Farhan Mehboob lost to Netherland’s Rowan Damming 11-4, 11-9, 11-9. Top seed Ibrahim Elkabbani (world number 62) also qualified for the next stage as he beat Malaysia’s Duncan Lee 11-9, 14-12, 13-11.

Results:

Ibrahim Elkabbani (Egypt) bt Duncan Lee (Malaysia) 11-9, 14-12, 13-11; Darren Pragasam (Malaysia) bt Tayyab Aslam (Pakistan) 9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-6; Seif El Shenawy (Egypt) bt Hafiz Zhafri (Malaysia) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8; Nasir Iqbal (Pakistan) bt Yasin Shodhy (Egypt) 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7; M. Ashab Irfan (Pakistan) bt Abdullah Nawaz (Pakistan) 10-12, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9; Rowan Damming (Netherlands) bt Farhan Mehboob (Pakistan) 11-4, 11-9, 11-9; Perry Malik (England) bt Ammar Altamimi (Kuwait) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8; Noor Zaman (Pakistan) bt Hazem Hossam (Egypt) 12-10, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024