ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s emerging players Tayyab Aslam and Asim Khan caused major upsets in the Serena Hotels Chief of Air Staff International Squash Championship in their respective matches defeating high-ranked Egyptian players here on Tuesday at the Mushaf Squash Complex.

Both promising players, who were part of the Pakistani team which won bronze in the recently concluded Asian Games, defeated the Egyptians after facing good resistance.

Tayyab and Asim will face each other on Wednesday in the quarter-final clash.

Seasoned campaigner Farhan Mehboob and another emerging prospect Ahsan Ayaz failed to go through to the quarters.

World number 95 Tayyab tamed the world No 49 Mohamed Reda in a four-set game 3-1, which lasted for 45 minutes.

Reda’s speed and accuracy assured his dominance in first set and helped him win 11-1 before a befitting comeback from Tayyab, who clinched the second set 11-2 points.

Tayyab never looked back and won the next two sets convincingly, 11-6 and 11-7.

World number 88 defeated Karim Al-Fathi after a a grueling game which lasted 80 minutesAsim, world number 88, after a grueling five-set game managed to defeat Egypt’s Karim Al-Fathi.

Karim started off well and won the first set 11-7, just to see Asim to take the next set and equalise. Both players had their moments in the match after that but home advantage helped Asim become the eventual winner.

Earlier, Farhan, a former national champion, could not win his match apparently because of a head injury he received during the second set.

He was defeated by Malaysian Nafizwan Adnan in straight three sets. Adnan won the first set 11-7 and during the second set Farhan accidentally hurt the right side of his forehead with his racket.

However, after a short break, he opted to continue the match, but was blanked by his opponent in second set 11-0 and then in the third set 11-7 in a match which lasted 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, Ahsan was outclassed by Egypt’s Youseff Soliman 11-7,11-0 and 11-2.

In the women’s championship, Pakistan’s Faiza Zafar and Madina Zafar made it to quarter final stage.

Faiza defeated Amna Fayyaz (3-2) in a five-set game which lasted 32 minutes 11-2, 11-4, 6-11, 12-14, 11-1.

Madina took only 20 minutes to tame Zahab Kamal 11-5,11-11-7 and 11-4.

Results:

Men:
Leo Au (HKG) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 5-11, 1-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 (3-2); Mazen Gamal (EGY) bt Ahmed Hosney (EGY) 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (3-0); Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt Mohamed Reda (EGY) 1-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7 (3-1); Asim Khan (PAK) bt Karim Al-Fathi (EGY) 7-11, 13-11, 11-2, 10-12, 11-9 (3-2); Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY) bt Shehab Essam (EGY) 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9 (3-2); Youseff Soliman (EGY) bt Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) 11-7, 11-0, 11-2 (3-0); Mostafa Asal (EGY) bt Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 11-3, 11-9, 3-11, 11-4 (3-1); Nafizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Farhan Mehboob (PAK) 11-7, 11-0, 11-7 (3-0).

Women:
Rowan Elarby (EGY) bt Anantana Pasertratanakul (THI) 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 (3-0); Faiza Zafar (PAK) bt Amna Fayyaz (PAK) 11-2, 11-4, 6-11, 12-14, 11-1 (3-2); Farida Momen (EGY) bt Farah Momen (EGY) 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (3-1); Menna Hameed (EGY) bt Moqaddas Ashraf (PAK) 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 (3-0); Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt Zoya Khalid (PAK) 11-4, 11-7, 11-0 (3-0); Madina Zafar (PAK) bt Zahab Kamal (PAK) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 (3-0); Tessa ter Sluis (NED) bt Areesoosadat Mousavazadeh (IRI) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (3-0); Nada Abbas (EGY) bt Riffat Khan (PAK) 11-3, 11-2, 11-7 (3-0).

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2018