PESHAWAR: Top seed Komal Khan faced stiff resistance from Laiba Ijaz before winning the Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Women’s Squash Championship final here at the PAF Hashim Khan Squash Complex on Saturday.

Komal exhibited some classic strokes that enthralled the spectators to win her fourth consecutive match against Laiba.

Komal, who is also current national junior champion, had to work hard to claim the first game 11-9. The game was tied at 4-4, 5-5 and 9-9 before Komal eventually prevailed.

The exciting battle continued in the second game as the contestants gave each other tough time. Though Komal took lead reaching 4-0, Laiba staged a fine comeback and was able to first tie the game at 4-4 before making it 6-6, 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9. Komal however edged out here rival to grab the game 11-9.

Laiba went down fighting in the third game — as the score was tied at 5-5, 7-7 and 8-8 — as Komal took the game 11-8 to clinch the title.

In her post-match talk, Komal, the bronze medallist of the first Quaid-i-Azam Inter-provincial Youth Games, said she enjoyed playing against Laiba.

“This time Laiba’s strokes had extra force,” she said. “I on my part had to try harder to win this final.”

Laiba, meanwhile, said she lacked practice in the lead-up to the final due to her exams preparation, but acknowledged “Komal has improved a lot and most of the time she dominated the match”.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2016