Squash: Farhan to challenge Butt in semi-finals

Waqar sets up last-four clash with Manzoor in squash tournament.

KARACHI: Top-seed Fahran Mehboob cruised into the semi-finals of the Chief of Army Staff International 2011 while second-seed Danish Atlas crashed out of the tournament in the second round.

Farhan defeated Muhammad Shahnaz in straight sets 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 to set up an encounter against Yasir Butt in his next match today.

Meanwhile, Altas went down to fourth-seed Waqar Mehboob 3-2. The second-seed won the first two sets 11-6, 11-8 before Waqar hit back to take the third 13-11 and then lost the next 12-10 as the match went into the deciding set. Waqar prevailed in the battle of nerves 11-8 to advance to the last-four where he will face Manzoor Zaman.

Earlier, Butt defeated Nasir Iqbal 11-7, 11-7 11-5 while Zaman struggled before eventually overcoming the unseeded Waqas Mehboob in an intense five-setter.

Zaman, the oldest player in the tournament, had a scratchy start as he went down in the first set 11-7 before bouncing back to win the second 11-6.

However, Waqas took the next set 14-12 but Zaman made no mistakes in the next to win 11-8 and seal the victory after a 12-10 scoreline in the decider.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th,  2011.