Squash: Aamir crashes out in qualifier

Yasir progresses to main round in squash event.

KARACHI: It was a day of mixed fortune for Pakistan at the PSA International 35 EBS Dayton Open as the country’s number one squash player Aamir Atlas Khan failed to progress to the main round of the event.

However, Pakistan number two Yasir Butt battled his way through the qualifier, overcoming Christopher Gordon in a five-game thriller.

Aamir went down to Mexico’s Cesar Salazar 9-11, 12-10, 11-6 and 11-4. The defeat marked the second time Aamir has lose in the qualifying rounds after taking part in three events in the US.

Meanwhile, his compatriot Yasir was involved in a cliff-hanger against Gordon with the match stretching to 83 minutes. However, Butt prevailed with scores of 11-8, 8-11, 13-11, 4-11 and 11-9 to join countryman Aurangzeb Mehmund in the main draw.

The world number 64 from Lahore – the lowest-ranked player in the main round – had earlier beaten New Zealand’s Martin Knight in the opening qualifying round.

While Yasir will face Australia’s Ryan Cuskelly, Mehmund faces Egypt’s rising star Marwan El Shorbagy.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2012.