KARACHI Peshawar based Farhan Mehboob and cousin Aamir Atlas Khan setup the final showdown of CNS international squash championship 2008 after winning their respective semi-finals in the $25,000 PSA squash tour event here on Wednesday.
Farhan Mehboob who jumped two places up in the world rankings for the month of November and now occupies No.27, eased into the finals after his pre-final opponent Mansoor Zaman retired from the match due to an injury. Farhan was the leading the match by 11-6, 8-3 score-line before Mansoor retired.
Aamir Atlas Khan, 18-year-old from Peshawar proved too good for Yasir Butt. He took only 35 minutes to topple Yasir Butt and registered a formidable 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 triumph.
Aamir Atlas has also moved in the right direction in the November rankings published by Professional Squash Association (PSA) Wednesday. Aamir is now ranked 31st in the world circuit. Last month he was ranked at no 34.
A local winner will emerge for the first time in CNS event after its previous seven editions were won by foreign players.
Yasir Butt, who shocked fourth seed Kashif Shuja of New Zealand on Tuesday, offered strong challenge to second seed Aamir Atlas before making his exit in 16-men tournament.
Meanwhile, when the PSA announced its player rankings for the month of November, a career-best world number two ranking by Karim Darwish in the new November PSA Men's World Squash Rankings has led to Egypt becoming the first country to boast three players in the world top four for 16 years.
While Egypt's Amr Shabana moves into his 32nd month at the top of the list, published by the Professional Squash Association, and new World Open champion Ramy Ashour retains his fourth place, Karim Darwish celebrates last month's runners-up berth in the Hi-Tec World Open in England, and his title triumph in last week's Qatar Classic in Doha, by leaping four places to a best-ever second place.
The 27-year-old fulfilled the promise he has shown all year when he defeated defending champion Amr Shabana in straight games in the Qatar Classic final to secure the biggest PSA Tour title of his career.
It was Darwish's third Tour final in a row, after finishing as runner-up both in the International Championship in Cairo in August, and last month's World Open in Manchester.
To-10 ranked players 1. Amr Shabana (Egypt), 2. Karim Darwish (Egypt), 3. Gregory Gaultier (France), 4. Ramy Ashour (Egypt), 5. James Willstrop (England), 6.David Palmer (Australia), 7.Thierry Lincou (France), 8.Wael El Hindi (Egypt), 9. Nick Matthew (England), 10. Peter Barker (England)
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