KARACHI, Nov 3: Two home qualifiers — Amjad Khan and Safeerullah Khan — along with New Zealand’s Martin Knight produced stunning performances when they sent seeded opponents packing to breeze into the quarter-finals of the CNS International squash championship at PN Roshan Khan-Jahangir Khan squash complex on Monday.
Amjad, ranked 185th in the world, overcame stiff challenge from seventh seed Campbell Grayson of New Zealand in the fully stretched battle that lasted 55 minutes.
Amjad was 2-0 up when the 78th ranked Kiwi fought back and drew level before going down. Amjad won 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8.
Safeerullah, on the other hand, took 20 minutes to wrap up the match against eighth seed compatriot Majid Khan 11-7, 11-7, 11-2.
Ninth seed Martin conceded the second game on way to eliminating sixth seed Khawaja Adil Maqbool 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 in 62 minutes.
Joining them in the last eight were last year’s runner-up and top seed Farhan Mehboob, second seed Amir Atlas, third seed Mansoor Zaman, fourth seed Kashif Shuja and fifth seed Yasir Butt.
Farhan opened his campaign when he recovered from a game down to inflict 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 defeat on Farhan Zaman.
Amir squeezed past Shahid Zaman 12-10, 11-4, 11-1 while Mansoor handed out 11-2, 2-11, 11-5, 11-2 defeat on Shamsul Islam Khan.
Kashif lived up to his reputation when he whipped qualifier Aqib hanif 11-13, 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 while Yasir accounted for Waqar Mehboob 11-2, 11-8, 11-3.
Commander Karachi, Rear Admiral Bakhtiar Mohsin, inaugurated the main round.
Results:
Farhan Mehboob bt Farhan Zaman 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5; Martin Knight (New Zealand) bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8; Mansoor Zaman bt Shamsul Islam Khan 11-2, 2-11, 11-5, 11-2; Amjad Khan bt Campbell Grayson (New Zealand) 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8; Yasir Butt bt Waqar Mehboob 11-2, 11-8, 11-3; Kashif Shuja bt Aqib Hanif 11-13, 11-5, 11-6, 11-6; Safeerullah Khan bt Majid Khan 11-7, 11-7, 11-2; Amir Atlas bt Shahid Zaman 12-10, 11-4, 11-1.
Tuesday’s fixtures:
Quarter-finals: Farhan Mehboob v Martin Knight (New Zealand) 11.00am; Mansoor Zaman v Amjad Khan 12.00noon; Yasir Butt v Kashif Shuja 1.00pm; Safeerullah Khan v Amir Atlas 2.00pm.