Seeds Slump In CNS International
In a dramatic opening day of the CNS International Squash Championship in Pakistan, half of the seeds – led by the top two – fell by the wayside in the $25,000 PSA Tour event at the Jahangir Khan Squash Complex in Karachi.
Top seed Shahid Zaman, beaten finalist twelve months ago, failed to extend his first game lead against unseeded Mark Heather and went down 9-11 11-2 11-10 11-9 to the Englishman.
Shahid’s cousin Mansoor Zaman, the No2 seed, also led after the first game against Arshad Iqbal Burki – but his unseeded compatriot went on to win 6-11 11-8 11-4 11-3.
Former Pakistan Open champion Amjad Khan had to qualify to gain entry into the event in which he was a semi-finalist four years ago. The 25-year-old from Peshawar twice came from behind to remove fourth seed Shamsul Islam Khan 5-11 11-6 4-11 11-8 11-6 to reach the quarter-finals - where he will face seventh seed Aamir Atlas Khan, the 15-year-old Asian Junior Champion.
RESULTS: CNS International Squash Championship, Karachi, Pakistan
1st round:
Mark Heather (ENG) bt [1] Shahid Zaman (PAK) 9-11, 11-2, 11-10, 11-9
Basit Ashfaq (PAK) bt [5] Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-6, 11-9, 11-8
[3] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) 11-5, 11-10, 11-2
[6] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-4, 11-10, 11-5
[7] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 11-10, 11-10, 11-9
[Q] Amjad Khan (PAK) bt [4] Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) 5-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6
[8] Khayal Muhammad Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Khalid Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-9, 5-11, 11-4, 11-3
Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) bt [2] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-3