0
KARACHI: Pakistan’s squash hope, teenager Danish Atlas Khan won his second Tour title in Iran in less than a week when he beat Malaysian favourite Muhammad Asyraf Azan in the final of the Fajr International, the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 event in Arak.
The 17-year-old brother of Pakistan’s top squash player Aamir Atlas Khan, Danish from survived two tie-break games before beating second-seeded fellow countryman Waqar Mehboob in the semi-finals to set up his final meeting with Azan, the world No60 from Kuala Lumpur.
In the final, Danish battled through two games which went into extra points before the world No 174 finally emerged triumphant with his surprise 12-10, 11-4, 14-12 win.
The win marks the second Tour title of the talented young Pakistani's career.
Score: Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [1] Muhammad Asyraf Azan (MAS) 12-10, 18-16, 11-6
Danish's road to Fajr glory
1st round: [1] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt Ahmad Alzabidi (JOR) 4-11, 14-12, 11-4, 11-6 (33m) [Q] Aurangzeb Mehmund (PAK) bt Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour (IRI) 11-9, 11-9, 18-16 (38m) [Q] Navid Maleksabet (IRI) bt Farhan Zaman (PAK) w/o [4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt [Q] Waqas Mehboob (PAK) 11-13, 2-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (36m) [3] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Ondrej Ertl (CZE) 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (34m) Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (52m) [Q] Seyed Mohammad Hossein Sanaee (IRI) bt Mohammad Hossei Jafari Nadoushan (IRI) 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 (35m) [2] Waqar Mehboob (PAK) bt Alireza Sanaei (IRI) 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (15m)
Quarter-finals: [1] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt [Q] Aurangzeb Mehmund (PAK) 9-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-6 (69m) [4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt [Q] Navid Maleksabet (IRI) 11-6, 11-5, 11-5 (26m) [3] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Saqib Yousaf (PAK) 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (22m) [2] Waqar Mehboob (PAK) bt [Q] Seyed Mohammad Hossein Sanaee (IRI) 11-7, 11-8, 13-11 (45m)
Semi-finals: [1] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt [4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 8-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-5 (31m) [3] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [2] Waqar Mehboob (PAK) 12-10, 11-4, 14-12 (47m)
Final: [3] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [1] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 12-10, 18-16, 11-6 (Source: Squash Info)
