Pakistan players dominated proceedings on the opening day of main draw action in the 5th Kish Persian Gulf Cup, the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 event at the Kish Olympic Sports Center in Kish Island, Iran.
Second seed Aamir Atlas Khan (pictured) led the way in his first appearance on the PSA Tour this year. The 22-year-old from Peshawar dismissed Jordan’s Ahmad Al-Saraj 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 and will now face younger brother Danish Atlas Khan for a place in the semi-finals
Danish, aged 19, defeated Qatar qualifier Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi 11-7, 11-7, 11-8.
Another all-Pakistan battle took Aqib Hanif through to the last eight. Hanif, from Lahore, beat Khawaja Adil Maqbool 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 and progresses to meet Andrew Wagih Shoukry in the next round after the third-seeded Egyptian overcame Spanish qualifier Alejandro Garbi Caro 11-8, 11-13, 11-3, 11-4.
Nasir Iqbal ensured Pakistan interest in the top half of the draw. The 26-year-old from Lahore beat local hope Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour and will now face India’s sole representative Harinder Pal Sandhu, the fourth seed, for a place in the last four.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) v Geoffrey Demont (FRA)
[4] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) v Nasir Iqbal (PAK)
[3] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) v Aqib Hanif (PAK)
[2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) v Danish Atlas Khan (PAK)
1st round:
[1] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt [Q] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 11-3, 11-9, 12-10 (47m)
Geoffrey Demont (FRA) bt [Q] Johan Bouquet (FRA) 11-6, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9 (80m)
Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour (IRI) 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-3 (55m)
[4] Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 (35m)
[3] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) bt [Q] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 11-8, 11-13, 11-3, 11-4 (44m)
Aqib Hanif (PAK) bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (23m)
Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 (41m)
[2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Ahmad Al-Saraj (JOR) 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 (51m)
Qualifying finals:
Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) bt Ravi Dixit (IND) 10-12, 11-2, 12-14, 11-9, 20-18 (80m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt Jerome Dadot (FRA) 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 (24m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Aamir Malik Khan (UAE) 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 (36m)
Johan Bouquet (FRA) bt Antoine-Camille Petrucci (FRA) 11-8, 4-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-5 (62m)
1st qualifying round:
Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) bt Navid Maleksabet (IRI) 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 (58m)
Ravi Dixit (IND) bt Zeyad Tareq Alowaesh (KUW) 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5
Jerome Dadot (FRA) bt Amir Hossein Jamalzadeh (IRI) 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (28m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt Mohammed Jafari (IRI) 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (34m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Mojtaba Kafili (IRI) 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (20m)
Aamir Malik Khan (UAE) bt Joe Chapman (IVB) 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (40m)
Antoine-Camille Petrucci (FRA) bt Sajjad Zarein (IRI) 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (18m)
Johan Bouquet (FRA) bt Farbod Kevanfar (IRI) 11-7, 11-2, 11-4 (22m)
