KARACHI: Mohammad Asim Khan enjoyed a cruise. Tayyab Aslam was made to work a bit. The top two seeds at the CNS International Squash Championship led a Pakistan quartet into the quarter-finals on Thursday, moving a step closer to setting up a title clash.

Both Asim and Tayyab had enjoyed first-round byes and being paired in the opposite sides of the draw, can only meet in the final. However, the semi-finals can also be all-Pakistan affairs after Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman advanced to the third round.

Top-ranked Asim eased past Malaysia’s Ong Sai Hung 11-5, 11-9, 11-5 in just over half an hour while Tayyab overcame Wong Chi Him of Hong Kong 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5 in 45 minutes.

For a place in the semi-finals, Asim will face another Malaysian after Mohammad Syafiq Kamal made the biggest upset on the day when he knocked out Egyptian third seed Yassi Elshafei 11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8.

There was another upset in the bottom half of the draw with Nasir ousting fifth-seeded Englishman Perry Malik 11-8, 11-8, 6-11,

13-11 in 47 minutes to set up a meeting with Hong Kong’s Tang Ming Hong after the sixth seed beat Perry’s compatriot Will Salter 15-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8.

Seeds lived up to their billing in the top half of the draw with Tayyab advancing to a quarter-final against eighth-seeded Methew Lai of Hong Kong, who beat Malaysia’s Bryan Tze Kang Lim 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4 in 34 minutes.

Seventh seed Noor, meanwhile, ousted Japan’s Tomo Endo 12-10, 11-6, 10-12. 12-10 and next faces Egyptian fourth seed Mohammad Zakaria, who came back from a game down to overpower Hong Kong’s Leo Chung 7-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-9.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024