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KARACHI: Top Pakistani squash player Aamir Atlas Khan failed to qualify for the quarterfinals of $327,500 Saudi PSA World Open Squash Championship after Egyptian Mohamed El Shorbagy defeated him in the third round of the richest PSA World Tour event of all-time at Sunset Beach Resort in the Saudi Arabian city of Al-Khobar.
Playing before a boisterous crowd - dominated by Egyptian supporters but with a significant Pakistani contingent - the No13 seed from Alexandria took just over half an hour to overcome his opponent 11-8, 11-6, 11-8.
Khan, the 22nd seed from Peshawar, secured his place in the last 16 after injury forced the retirement of world number one Ramy Ashour midway through their second round match.
The 19-year-old El Shorbagy is the event's youngest seed who made his mark in the championship debut in England in 2008 when he reached the last eight as a 17-year-old.
El Shorbagy will now face England's James Willstrop, the sixth seed who survived the longest match of the day in overcoming England team-mate Daryl Selby, the 9th seed, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7 in 80 minutes.
The other quarter-final line-up decided will also throw together an Egypt/England clash - between fourth seed Karim Darwish and Londoner Peter Barker, the No8 seed.
Darwish, winner of last month's Qatar Classic, dispatched fellow countryman Wael El Hindi 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 in just 38 minutes, while Barker saw off Australia's Stewart Boswell 11-6, 11-6, 11-9 in 56 minutes to make the last eight for the second year in a row. -PPI
