CAS Squash International, Islamabad, Pakistan

21-Aug, Final:
[4] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [2] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS)
         11-5, 6-11, 6-11, 11-10 (5-3), 11-6 (60m)

Aamir Atlas Khan Triumphs In Islamabad

Pakistan teenager Aamir Atlas Khan came of age today (Tuesday) in his country's capital city Islamabad when he defeated second seed Mohd Azlan Iskandar in the final of the CAS International at the Mushaf Ali Mir Complex to win his first PSA Tour squash title.

Only just 17, fourth seed Khan claimed his place in the final after upsetting Malaysian favourite Ong Beng Hee in the semi-finals.

In the final, the Peshawar youngster then fought back from 2/1 down to force Iskandar into a tie-break in the fourth game - which Khan eventually clinched 15-13.

In his third successive match in the event to go the full distance, 25-year-old Iskandar was hoping to keep his younger opponent at bay - and extend his unbeaten streak to 12 matches.

But it was the young Pakistani who maintained the upper hand throughout the game - ultimately winning 11-5, 6-11, 6-11, 11-10 (5-3), 11-6 in 60 minutes to claim his historic PSA Tour title breakthrough.

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20-Aug, Semi-finals:
[4] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6 (45m)
[2] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [Q] Yasir Butt (PAK) 7-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-8 (68m)

Aamir & Azlan In Islamabad Final

Pakistan's fast-improving Aamir Atlas Khan delighted local crowds at the Mushaf Ali Mir Complex in the country's capital city Islamabad when he upset favourite Ong Beng Hee in today's (Monday) semi-finals of the CAS Squash International.

It was exactly two years ago that the 17-year-old from Peshawar first beat the former world No7 from Malaysia in the first round of the 2005 event.

Fourth seed Khan's 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6 victory takes the 2006 Pakistan national champion into his second $25,000 PSA Tour event final.

His opponent will be second seed Mohd Azlan Iskandar, also from Malaysia, who reached his third successive PSA Tour event final when he beat Pakistan's Yasir Butt.

But the 19-year-old qualifier from Lahore led his higher-ranked opponent by two-games-to-love before Iskandar - for the second time in 24 hours - recovered to win the match in five games, 7-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-8.

Iskandar's 68-minute victory - his second match in a row lasting more than an hour - takes the 25-year-old from Sarawak into the 16th PSA Tour final of his career.

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19-Aug, Quarter-finals:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt [7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY)         11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-3 (36m)
[4] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK)   11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (15m)
[Q] Yasir Butt (PAK) bt Farhan Mehboob (PAK)                     11-10 (2-0), 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 (48m)
[2] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [5] Omar Mosaad (EGY)   7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8 (72m)

Butt Battles Into CAS International Semis

Pakistan teenager Yasir Butt maintained his fine form in the CAS International in the Pakistan city of Islamabad when he became the only qualifier to reach the semi-finals after beating compatriot Farhan Mehboob in the quarter-finals of the $25,000 PSA Tour event at the Mushaf Ali Mir Complex.

The 19-year-old from Lahore made his event breakthrough in the first round when he beat experienced fellow countryman Shahid Zaman, the No6 seed.

Butt battled hard for 48 minutes to overcome unseeded Mehboob 11-10 (2-0), 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 - and will now face Malaysia's second seed Mohd Azlan Iskandar for a place in the final.

It will be the pair's second Tour clash in Islamabad - after the Malaysian beat Butt in the first round of the COAS International in the city more than two years ago.

The in-form Iskandar, champion in 2004, beat Egypt's fifth seed Omar Mosaad 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8 in 72 minutes to extend his unbeaten run on the PSA Tour to ten matches! The 25-year-old world No17 from Sarawak arrived in Pakistan with two successive PSA title wins to his name - at the North American Open in San Francisco in May and the Malaysian Open in his home country last month.

The other semi-final will also be a Malaysian/Pakistani affair - in which favourite Ong Beng Hee will take on local star Aamir Atlas Khan, the 17-year-old Pakistan No2 from Peshawar.

Beng Hee, runner-up in 2004, beat Egypt's No7 seed Omar Abdel Aziz 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-3 while Khan crushed compatriot Safeer Ullah Khan, a qualifier, 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 in just 15 minutes.

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18-Aug, 1st round:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Majid Khan (PAK)                     6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9 (59m)
[7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt [Q] Shah Nawaz (PAK)     11-10 (2-0), 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 (55m)
[4] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt [Q] Khalid Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 (23m)
[Q] Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) bt [8] Amr Swelim (EGY)        6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8 (50m)
[Q] Yasir Butt (PAK) bt [6] Shahid Zaman (PAK)                9-11, 11-4, 5-1 ret.
Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt [3] Mansoor Zaman (PAK)          11-8, 11-7, 11-10 (2-0) (28m)
[5] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK)       11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-1, 11-1 (29m)
[2] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-0, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5 (32m)

Zamans Zapped In CAS Opener

Experienced Pakistan cousins Mansoor Zaman and Shahid Zaman both exited the CAS International on the opening day as younger players from the country pulled off major first round upsets in the $25,000 PSA Tour event in the Pakistan city of Islamabad.

Mansoor Zaman, the 27-year-old No3 seed from Peshawar, went down in straight games to unseeded compatriot Farhan Mehboob 11-8, 11-7, 11-10 (2-0) in just 28 minutes. Runner-up for the past two years, and champion of the established Pakistan event in 2001, Zaman was suffering his second defeat in two months to the 18-year-old - after losing to Mehboob in July's Malaysian Open.

Sixth seed Shahid Zaman, the 25-year-old from Quetta who has also twice reached the event's final, retired injured midway through the third game against Yasir Butt. The 19-year-old Pakistan qualifier from Lahore goes on to face Mehboob for a place in the semi-finals.

Top-seeded Malaysians Ong Beng Hee and Mohd Azlan Iskandar made it safely through to the quarter-finals - but favourite Ong Beng Hee was taken the full distance by Majid Khan before beating the unseeded Pakistani 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9 in 59 minutes.