KARACHI, Jan 10: Pakistan’s talented youngster Adil Maqbool shocked 34-year-old Englishman Clive Leach in a tough contest to qualify for the finals of the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions at the New York Athletic Club to earn place in the main draw of the established PSA Super Series squash event at Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Adil prevailed in one of the most hotly-contested matches as he staved off four match balls en-route to defeating Leach in five games. On an unseasonably warm winter day which made the courts unusually hot, and facing an opponent with a home court advantage, the Dubai-based teenager kept his cool to eke out a 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-10 (3-1) victory in 66 minutes.

Leach, who had to start the fourth game with a conduct stroke against him for failing to return to the court on time, won the game to even the match at two-all. The veteran looked on course to make it into the main draw when he carved out a 10-7 lead in the deciding game - but his young opponent proved fearless and tied the score. Leach had one more match ball, but the Pakistani reeled off the next three points to earn his first trip to the glass court in Grand Central Terminal.

The 19-year-old Adil will now face Malaysian Mohammad Azlan Iskandar - currently ranked world No.15 in the main round draw.

“He was getting to all my winners”, commented Zambian Patrick Chifunda wryly after losing his 69-minute battle with former Trinity College player Bernardo Samper, who drew his Colombian country-man Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the main draw.

Mohd Ali Anwar Reda became the seventh Egyptian in the main draw when he survived the longest match of the day and defeated Badr Abdel Aziz of Sweden in five games after being on court for 74 minutes.

In another five-game match, India’s Ritwik Bhattacharya dashed the hopes of young American Gilly Lane and will play US-based seventh seed John White, of Scotland, on Friday evening.—Agencies