Pakistanis Farhan Mehboob and Waqar Mehboob have reached the semi-finals of the long-established CAS International on home soil – but the two brothers survived totally contrasting quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 event today at the Mushaf Squash Complex in Islamabad.
Favourite Farhan (pictured), from Peshawar, brushed aside Lahore-based Muhammad Shah Nawaz 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 in just 30 minutes.
But unseeded younger brother Waqar was facing the No2 seed Danish Atlas Khan, also from Peshawar. Kahn, aged 17, won the opening two games and took the third game to a tie-break.
Waqar, two years older but more than 30 places lower in the PSA world rankings, survived two tie-break games to draw level – then battled on to take the decider to win the marathon match 6-11, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8 in one minute less than two hours.
Waqar takes on experienced fourth seed Mansoor Zaman, while 22-year-old Farhan faces third seed Yasir Butt.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) v [3] Yasir Butt (PAK)
Waqar Mehboob (PAK) v [4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Muhammad Shah Nawaz (PAK) 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 (30m)
[3] Yasir Butt (PAK) bt Nasir Iqbal (PAK) 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (33m)
[4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt Waqas Mehboob (PAK) 7-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-8, 12-10 (69m)
Waqar Mehboob (PAK) bt [2] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) 6-11, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8 (119m)
1st round:
[1] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Farhan Zaman (PAK) 10-12, 11-1, 11-2, 5-11, 11-4 (60m)
Muhammad Shah Nawaz (PAK) bt Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5 (41m)
Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) 3-11, 13-11, 11-3, 11-7 (49m)
[3] Yasir Butt (PAK) bt [Q] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-9, 10-4 ret.
[4] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt [Q] Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (26m)
Waqas Mehboob (PAK) bt [Q] Aqib Hanif (PAK) 11-4, 11-5, 11-7 (20m)
Waqar Mehboob (PAK) bt [Q] Syed Hamzha Shah Bukhari (PAK) 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7 (61m)
[2] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Owais Khan (PAK) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (36m)
Qualifying finals:
Syed Hamzha Shah Bukhari (PAK) bt Abbas Ali (PAK) 11-4, 11-7, 11-7
Aqib Hanif (PAK) bt Aurangzeb Mehmund (PAK) 12-10, 14-12, 12-10
Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) bt Mohammad Naeem (PAK) 11-4, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5
Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt Muhammad Shoaib Hassan (PAK) 11-4, 11-7, 1-11, 7-11, 11-9
1st qualifying round:
Syed Hamzha Shah Bukhari (PAK) bt Aamir Khan (UAE) 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4
Abbas Ali (PAK) bt Adeel Ahmed (PAK) 11-2, 12-10, 11-8
Aqib Hanif (PAK) bt Raees Khan (PAK) 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8
Aurangzeb Mehmund (PAK) bt Shahzad Khan (PAK) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8
Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) bt Muhammad Khalid Khan (PAK) 11-6, 11-5, 11-5
Mohammad Naeem (PAK) bt Salman Zeb (PAK) 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6
Muhammad Shoaib Hassan (PAK) bt Salman Mohib (PAK) 11-9, 11-2, 11-9
Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt Syed Ali Shah Bokhari (PAK) 5-11, 11-3, 11-7, 12-14, 11-8
