Pakistan’s other representative at the World Open, Farhan Mehboob crashed out against Gregory Gaultier of France 11-6, 11-5, 11-4. —Photo courtesy SquashSite.co.uk
Pakistan’s other representative at the World Open, Farhan Mehboob crashed out against Gregory Gaultier of France 11-6, 11-5, 11-4. —Photo courtesy SquashSite.co.uk
AL KHOBAR: Pakistan’s number one Aamir Atlas Khan entered the third round of the PSA World Open Squash Championship on Sunday, after world number Ramy Ashour retired after the opening game. Ashour, suffering from a hamstring injury, gave up on his bid to win back the World Open title after only six minutes and was forced to call a halt.

The 23-year-old from Cairo left the court in agony after losing the game 11-2, which was so painful it suggested he might have been better never to have taken the court.

While the number 22 seed Atlas breezed into the third round, Ashour’s retirement cost the tournament someone who was simultaneously its most charismatic player, the unofficial favourite for the title, and a local hero with strong connections to the city.

“I’m very sad. I don’t know what to say. It means so much to me,” Ashour said, close to tears. “I felt it first in training back in Egypt a week ago.

“I was going to hospital every day and I hoped it would be all right when I got here. There was no way I was going to miss the World Open.

“I really wanted to play and stay world number one. But when I was here I felt it go again.

“I somehow managed to get through my first match (against Kristian Frost of Denmark) and I thought that with a rest day, if I prepared carefully, I might get through another one. It was no good – I just couldn’t move.”

Ashour is sponsored by ATCO, whose vice-chairman Ziad Al Turki is responsible for bringing a world championship to Saudi Arabia for the first time.

It was in this same arena a year ago that Ashour won a thrilling final in the Saudi International against England’s Nick Matthew to snatch the year-end world number one spot.

Matthew, the top seed, could now become the main beneficiary of Ashour’s ill fortune, and has a last 16 encounter with Hisham Ashour, Ramy’s elder brother, on Monday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s other representative at the World Open, Farhan Mehboob crashed out against Gregory Gaultier of France 11-6, 11-5, 11-4.

Others who may take advantage are Ashour’s compatriot Amr Shabana, the 31-year-old defending champion, who plays Azlan Iskandar of Malaysia, and a third Egyptian, Karim Darwish, the former world number one.

Darwish progressed safely to the third round with a 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 win over Tom Richards of England.

Another front runner to impress was James Willstrop, the world number five from England, whose 11-6, 11-3, 11-3 win over Borja Golan of Spain appears to have opened up a route through to the semi-finals in place of Ashour.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.