Atlas will take on Farhan Zaman in the final, who sealed his berth after edging past Mohammad Saqib Yousuf 3-2 in the other semi-final.
Atlas took only 25 minutes to outclass his inexperienced opponent, securing the first two sets 11-6 and 11-5. He was leading 3-0 in the third set when Iqbal was forced to forfeit with a leg injury, handing Atlas the win.
“I’m excited about the final and feel that I have a firm grip on it,” Atlas told The Express Tribune. “I don’t think that it’s going to be a one-sided match because Zaman’s very talented, he played five sets in the semis so I’m not underestimating him at all.”
The tournament is offering $ 12,000 prize-money and featured all the top players of the country except Farhan Mehboob who is on a sabbatical from the sport.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2011.
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