KARACHI, Nov 20: Quite a stir was created in the qualifying round of the 5th CNS International squash championship, when the top two seeds Farrukh Zaman and Saeed Hassan, met their doom on Saturday afternoon at the Pakistan Navy Roshan Khan/ Jahangir Khan Squash Complex.
In a gruelling five game encounter which lasted for 54 minutes, unseeded Shamul Islam caused the biggest upset by ousting the top seed Farrukh Zaman.
Farrukh won the first two games 11-10 (2-0) and 11-9 and seemed on course to move into the next round. But Sham fighting with his back to the wall, levelled the game scores 2-2, picking up the third and fourth 11-3, 11-9.
The final game had its fair share of thrills and spills as the two players were running neck and neck with the lead changing hands over several times. With sweat pouring down profusely from both players' faces, Shams finally prevailed 11-10 and was indeed a picture of happiness when he threw his arms up in the air signalling his victory.
The other upset came when 10th seed Yasir Butt sent second seed Saeed Hassan packing 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-10 in 36 minutes. After Yasir won the first game, Saeed equalised by pinching the second, but Yasir playing some attacking squash took the next two games and the match.
In another match that went the full distance 11th seed Kawaja Adil Maqbool beat fifth seed Safeer Ullah Khan in 39 minutes after Safeer Ullah was comfortably placed leading by two games to one.
It took eigth seeded Australian Bradley Hindle only 10 minutes to oust M. Suleman 11-2, 11-0, 11-1. Also moving ahead in the qualifying round was Khayal Mohammad who beat Jehanzeb Masood 11-2, 11-9, 11-8 in 33 minutes. The same could be said about seventh seed Farhan Mahboob, who finally overcame Amjad Khan 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4 after 31 minutes.
Sixth seed Khalid Atlas beat ninth Naveed Atlas 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 in 19 minutes, but third seed Arshad Iqbal was lucky to survive against another unseeded player Bilal Zaman in a match that went to the wire.
After Arhsad took the opening game 11-4, Bilal fought back magnificently forging ahead 2-1 winning the next two fiercely fought out games 11-10, 11-10. But this gallant effort was to prove rather costly. Bilal finally ran out of steam and was reduced to a mere passenger in the final two games.
Results:
Arshad Iqbal bt Bilal Zaman 11-4, 10-11, 10-11, 11-4, 11-1; Yasir Butt bt Saeed Hassan 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-10; Khyal Mohammad bt Jehazeb Masood 11-2, 11-0, 11-8; Bradley Hindle (Australia) bt M. Suleman 11-2, 11-0, 11-1; Farhan Mehboob bt Amjad Khan 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6; Shamsul Islam bt Farrukh Zaman 10-11 (2-), 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0); Khawja Adil Maqbool bt Safeer Ullah Khan 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 4-11; Khalid Atlas bt Naveed Atlas 11-5, 11-3, 11-8.
Fixtures for Sunday.
Shamsul-Islam v/s Khawja Adil Maqbool; Arshad Iqbal v/s Bradley Hindle (Australia), Farhan Mehboob v/s Khayal Mohammad; Khalid Atlas v/s Yasir Butt.
The matches begin at 3pm.