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 CAS
International
2008
Islamabad, Pakistan, 04-09 Jun, $30k |
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09-Jun, Final:
[1] Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak) bt [3] Farhan Mehboob (Pak)
11/6, 15/13, 6/11, 11/7 (49m) |
Aamir retains CAS title
Pakistan number one Aamir Atlas Khan successfully defended his CAS
International title as he beat fellow Pakistani teenager Farhan
Mehboob in the final the Mushaf Squash Complex in Islamabad.
Ranked just four places higher in the world than his opponent,
17-year-old top seed Atlas Khan battled for 49 minutes to beat
19-year-old Mehboob in four games.
The victory marked Khan's third PSA Tour title - all of which have
been won on home soil.
The occasion was graced by Mr Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister Finance
and Privatization Republic of Pakistan, as chief guest.
Over 18 years, the CAS International Squash Championship has become
one of the most popular and second-highest paying squash events in
Pakistan - which was first organized in 1990, with its title CAS
Open Squash Championship.
With its growing popularity, the championship captivated the
interest of squash enthusiasts from across the world, and it was
modified as CAS International Squash Championship in 1997 with prize
money increased to US $ 10,000.
The amount of prize money was enhanced to US $ 20,000 in 2001 and
further increase of US $ 5,000 was made in 2002. This year CAS has
again added an amount of US $ 5,000 into the prize money which has
rendered the championship three-star on PSA schedule.
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08-Jun, Semis:
[1] Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak) bt Aaron Frankcomb (Aus)
11/7, 12/10, 11/7 (49m)
[3] Farhan Mehboob (Pak) bt [2] Mansoor Zaman (Pak)
11/9, 5/11, 11/8, 8/11, 11/9 (60m) |
Home winner assured
A home winner is guaranteed in Islamabad after contrasting victories
for Aamir Atlas Khan and Farhan Mehboob in the
semi-finals.
Top seed and defending champion Khan won three close games against
Australia's Aaron Frankcomb, while Mehboob - a team-mate of Khan in
the 2006 World Juniors - won a see-saw five-game match against
second seed Mansoor Zaman.
Mehboob will be aiming to capture a second PSA title to add to the
President PSF International he won last month in Abottobad, while
Khan will be looking for a third title, having won this title last
year and the COAS International in April.
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07-Jun, Quarters:
Three home semi-finalists
in Islamabad
Three home players made it through to the semi-finals of the CAS
International at Islamabad's Mushaf Squash Complex.
 Top
seed and defending champion Aamir Atlas Khan was taken the
full distance by compatriot Yasir Butt, but Khan recovered from 2/1
down to keep his title hopes alive after 71 minutes.
He faces Aaron Frankcomb in the semi-finals after the
sixth-seeded Australian beat Jan Koukal, the fourth seed, in just
short of an hour.
The other semi-final will be an all-Pakistani affair after quickfire
wins for Mansoor Zaman (19 minutes) and Farhan Mehboob
(26 minutes) over Egyptians Ali Anwar Reda and Mohamed El Shorbagy,
respectively.
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Player
interviews from
Marwan El Shorbagy |
CAS
International
2008
Islamabad, Pakistan, 04-09 Jun, $30k |
Round One
06-Jun |
Quarters
07-Jun |
Semis
08-Jun |
Final
09-Jun |
[1] Aamir Atlas Khan
(Pak)
11/7, 11/9, 11/6 (36m)
Safeerullah Khan (Pak) |
[1] Aamir Atlas Khan
11/7, 6/11, 10/12, 11/7, 11/7 (71m)
[5] Yasir Butt |
[1] Aamir Atlas Khan
11/7, 12/10, 11/7 (49m)
[6] Aaron Frankcomb |
[1] Aamir Atlas Khan
11/6, 15/13, 6/11, 11/7 (49m)
[3] Farhan Mehboob |
[5] Yasir Butt (Pak)
11/9, 11/2, 1/11, 10/12, 11/7 (59m)
[Q] Majid Khan (Pak) |
[4] Jan Koukal (Cze)
11/7, 11/2, 11/9 (26m)
[Q] Shamsul Islam Khan (Pak) |
[4] Jan Koukal
5/11, 11/6, 11/9, 11/9 (59m)
[6] Aaron Frankcomb |
[6] Aaron Frankcomb
(Aus)
9/11, 11/4, 11/7, 12/10 (65m)
Adil Maqbool (Pak) |
Mohamed El Shorbagy
(Egy)
11/13, 15/13, 11/7, 11/5 (45m)
[8] Tom Richards (Eng) |
Mohamed El Shorbagy
11/7, 11/5, 11/3 (26m)
[3] Farhan Mehboob |
[3] Farhan Mehboob
11/9, 5/11, 11/8, 8/11, 11/9 (60m)
[2] Mansoor Zaman |
[Q] Amjad Khan (Pak)
11/4, 11/4, 11/5 (21m)
[3] Farhan Mehboob (Pak) |
Bradley Hindle (Aus)
6/11, 11/3, 11/7, 11/8 (49m)
[7] Ali Anwar Reda (Egy) |
[7] Ali Anwar Reda
11/3, 11/2, 11/3 (19m)
[2] Mansoor Zaman |
[Q] Arshad Iqbal Burki
(Pak)
11/6, 11/5, 12/10 (36m)
[2] Mansoor Zaman (Pak) |
05-Jun, Qualifying
finals:
Amjad Khan beat Shahid Zaman
16/14, 11/2, 11/9 (28 Min)
Shamsul Islam beat Bilal Zaman
6/11, 15/13, 11/3, 12/10 (39 Min)
Arshad Burki beat Owais Khan
11/4, 11/6, 9/11, 11/4 (25 Min)
Majid Khan beat Aqib Hanif
11/5, 11/6, 4/11, 11/9 (46 Min)
04-Jun, Qualifying
Round One:
02 & 03 Jun,
Pre-Qualifying
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El Shorbagy pips
Richards to Quarter-Final berth
in Islamabad
Egyptian teenager Mohamed El Shorbagy
caused the only upset on the opening
day of action in the CAS
International when he beat eighth
seed Tom Richards in the first round of the $30,000
event at the Mushaf Squash Complex in Islamabad.
The UK-based 17-year-old from Alexandria, who
is playing in his first Tour event in Pakistan, recovered from a
game down to beat Richards in 45 minutes.
El Shorbagy will now face one of four
Pakistanis who have made it through to the last eight. Third
seed Farhan Mehboob beat compatriot Amjad Khan, a former
Pakistan number one, in just 21
minutes.
Another all-Pakistani first round clash saw
17-year-old Aamir Atlas Khan successfully begin the
defence of his title with a straight games
win over Safeer Ullah Khan. The top seed from Peshawar will now
face a further fellow countryman Yasir Butt, the No5
seed, for a place in the semi-finals.
 "That
seriously was a very hard match, the court was very hot but that was
good for me. I played basic not taking too many risks and playing
safe shots today, which is unusual in my games but I wanted him to
run and to get tired and that was my plan for today and it worked
really well.
"He was absolutely tired from the third and I took the control of
the match. I was lucky to come back from 10/6 down to win the game I
think that was the game of the match. I am pleased with my win today
and tomorrow will be a hard match but no pressure. The tournament is
good and the people are really nice here."
 "After
a long flight and arriving just 3 hours before the match and didn't
sleep for 24 hours, I was feeling tired in the first game and my
legs were really heavy and the court is really hot and bouncy so I
couldn't find my shots and he was moving really well. At the
beginning of the second I just hitt the ball more to the back and
being patient until the chances came and go for it. Now I will have
some rest and be ready for tomorrow. I would like to thanks the
organisers of the tournament, they are doing a great job here and it
is such a good tournament.
"Mohamed played too good, but I was
very unfit."
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Player
interviews from Marwan El Shorbagy
 "It
was tough conditions out there today, very hard to lift the pace as
it was hot and bouncy. Happy to win 3/1 and look forward to my match
tomorrow."
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PSF
disappointed at
International involvement
From the Daily Times
Despite enhancement in prize money, top international players have
stayed away from the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) International Squash
Championship starting with the qualifying round at the Mushaf Squash
Complex here on Wednesday (today). The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF),
which has failed to build its image, could attract only nine
international players who are ranked below 50 in the world. “Some 22
international players had earlier shown their interest for this
event but thirteen of them withdrew later,” a spokesman for the PSF
told reporters at a news conference here on Tuesday. The main round
begins on Friday at the same venue.
The PSF had raised the prize money from $25,000 to $30,000 to ensure
the participation of the top ranking players, but failed in its
objective. Defending champion Aamir Atlas Khan is the top seed of
the tournament that concludes on June 9. 12 players are directly in
the main draw: Aamir Atlas Khan, Mansoor Zaman, Farhan Mehboob and
Yasir Butt, (Pakistan), Jan Koukal (Czech Republic), Aaaran
Frankcomb (Australia) Ali Anwar Reda (Egypt) Tom Richards
(England), Bradley Hindle (Australia), Mohammad El Shorgaby (Egypt),
Adil Maqbool and Safeerullah Khan (wild cards).
Top four of the qualifying round will advance to the main round.
Besides the Pakistanis, Naresh Kumar of India and Tariq Manzoor of
UAE will also figure in the qualifying round.
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"Today's
conditions were a lot easier than yesterday. Jan came out very sharp
in the first and I didn't quite adapt to the glass court. After the
first game everything seemed to click, I managed to get him behind
me to put pressure on. The fourth was tight all the way through, I
don't know how I managed to win but I was very glad I did.
"Oooh
man I don't know what happened. After I was 7/7 in the first game I
was absolutely exhausted, couldn't play at all after that. He is
very dangerous on his forehand and he was controlling all the
rallies. He is a fair player and very hard to beat.
