Mehboob bows out of Malaysia Open in semis

Farhan Mehboob’s fine run in the Malaysian Open Squash Championship ended when he succumbed to Malaysia’s number one Azlan Iskandar in the semi-final of the $50,000 event in Kuala Lumpur.

Pakistan’s number two and world number 36 went down against Iskandar 11-7, 11-7, 11-7.

The Peshawar-based player entered the event as a qualifier and provided a spectacular show by overcoming seeded players including Germany’s eighth-seed Simon Rosner, who he defeated in the quarter-finals, and Australia’s second-seed Cameron Pilley, who he sent packing on his way to the last-four.

However, Mehboob’s loss has ended Pakistan’s chances of winning the championship as top Pakistani player Aamir Atlas was knocked out of the event in the quarter-finals.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2010.