Aamir Atlas Khan will face David Palmer of Australia in the second round. —File Photo
KARACHI Top Pakistani squash player Aamir Atlas Khan won his first-round match while the other Pakistani Farhan Mahboob, competing in the ROWE British Grand Prix, lost his match in the first round of $92,500 PSA Super Series event, the biggest event in Europe this year, at the National Squash Centre, Manchester.

Seeded 12th in the event, Aamir Atlas Khan took only 23 minutes to dispatch Amr Swelim of Italy 11-3, 11-5, 11-7.

Aamir, ranked 23rd in the world circuit, will face eighth seeded Australian David Palmer in the second round.

Meanwhile, Alan Clyne, the 24-year-old qualifier from Edinburgh beat Farhan 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 5-11, 16-14 in the 61-minute battle.

Clyne now faces second seed Ramy Ashour, the new world No. 1 from Egypt who dismissed England qualifier Laurence Delasaux 11-4, 11-7, 11-5.

Results (first round)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Amr Swelim (ITA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-7; David Palmer (AUS) bt Julian Illingworth (USA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-6; Hisham Mohammad Ashour (EGY) bt Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7; Amr Shabana (EGY) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-8, 11-7, 11-5; Mohammad Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 13-15, 12-14, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8; Thierry Lincou (FRA) bt Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5; Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 5-11, 16-14; Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Laurence Delasaux (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5.—Agencies

Opinion

Editorial

Iran’s new leader
10 Mar, 2026

Iran’s new leader

MOVING to fill a vacuum created by the brutal assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Assembly of Experts...
National priorities
10 Mar, 2026

National priorities

EVEN as the country faces heightened risks of attacks from actual terrorists, an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi...
Silenced march
10 Mar, 2026

Silenced march

ON the eve of International Women’s Day, Islamabad Police detained dozens of Aurat March activists who had ...
War & deception
Updated 09 Mar, 2026

War & deception

While there is little doubt that Iran is involved in many of the retaliatory attacks, the facts raise suspicions that another player may be at work.
The witness box
09 Mar, 2026

The witness box

IT is often the fear of the courtroom and what may transpire therein that drives many victims of crime, especially...
Asylum applications
09 Mar, 2026

Asylum applications

BRITAIN’S tough immigration posture has again drawn attention to the sharp rise in asylum claims by Pakistani...