Pakistan’s Danish Atlas Khan recorded his second successive PSA World Tour triumph over his older brother Aamir Atlas Khan when he toppled the defending champion in today’s final of the Kish Persian Gulf Cup to reclaim the PSA Challenger 5 title he first won at the Olympic Squash Complex in Kish Island, Iran, three years ago.
Both Peshawar-based players survived five-game semi-finals to set up the predicted climax between the event’s top two seeds – 20-year-old No.1 seed Danish taking 88 minutes to overcome Kuwait’s fourth seed Yousif Nizar Saleh 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, while second seed Aamir, aged 23, twice came from behind to see off surprise semi-finalist Youssef Abdalla, the No.6 seed from England.
The final produced the Khan brothers’ sixth Tour clash – and the second in the event – with Aamir successful in the first four.
But after celebrating his first senior sibling success in the CAS International on home soil last September, World No.72 Danish (pictured above in action in the final) proved that it was no fluke when he beat Aamir, a former World No.14, 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8 in 70 minutes.
The triumph – in his 10th Tour final – takes Danish’s Tour title haul to six.
Final:
[1] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8 (70m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [4] Yousif Nizar Saleh (KUW) 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7 (88m)
[2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [6] Youssef Abdalla (ENG) 9-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6 (73m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [8] Zeyad Tareq Alowaesh (KUW) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6 (24m)
[4] Yousif Nizar Saleh (KUW) bt [5] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9 (65m)
[6] Youssef Abdalla (ENG) bt [3] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7 (80m)
[2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Seyed Mohammad Reza Zia Kashani (IRI) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6 (23m)
1st round:
[1] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Alireza Sanaei (IRI) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (30m)
[8] Zeyad Tareq Alowaesh (KUW) bt [LL] Sameollah Ghasedabadi (IRI) 11-5, 16-14, 12-10 (44m)
[5] Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) bt [Q] Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour (IRI) 11-9, 13-11, 12-10 (50m)
[4] Yousif Nizar Saleh (KUW) bt Ali Miski (LIB) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (18m)
[3] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) bt Mubarak Mohsin (UAE) 11-1, 11-3, 11-7 (13m)
[6] Youssef Abdalla (ENG) bt [Q] Navid Maleksabet (IRI) 14-12, 11-9, 11-3 (35m)
[Q] Seyed Mohammad Reza Zia Kashani (IRI) bt [LL] Sajjad Zarein (IRI) 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (42m)
[2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [LL] Mohammed Jafari (IRI) 11-2, 11-6, 11-8 (23m)
Qualifying finals:
Navid Maleksabet (IRI) bt Mohammed Jafari (IRI) 11-8, 11-6, 11-7
Alireza Sanaei (IRI) bt Abdolreza Zia Kashani (IRI) 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8
Seyed Mohammad Reza Zia Kashani (IRI) bt Sajjad Zarein (IRI) 12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9
Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour (IRI) bt Sameollah Ghasedabadi (IRI) 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8
1st qualifying round:
Navid Maleksabet (IRI) bt Hadi Shamsolghar (IRI) 11-1, 11-2, 11-2
Mohammed Jafari (IRI) bt Milad Doosti Noori (IRI) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
Alireza Sanaei (IRI) bt Navid Dashty (IRI) 11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7
Abdolreza Zia Kashani (IRI) bt Sina Barootkoob (IRI) 11-7, 11-3, 11-9
Sajjad Zarein (IRI) bt Alireza Shameli (IRI) 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7
Seyed Mohammad Reza Zia Kashani (IRI) bt Mohamad Reza Fotoohi (IRI) 12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9
Mohammad Reza Sadeghpour (IRI) bt Farbod Kevanfar (IRI) 11-3, 11-5, 11-6
Sameollah Ghasedabadi (IRI) bt Mojtaba Kafili (IRI) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8
