Khan Is Youngest Qualifier In World's Richest Event In Kuwait

Pakistan teenager Aamir Atlas Khan became the youngest player to qualify for the world's richest squash tournament when he beat Mexican Eric Galvez in straight games in today's men's qualifying finals of the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open at the Al Qadsia Sports Centre in Kuwait City.

The 16-year-old from Peshawar, a nephew of Pakistan legend Jansher Khan and now the top-ranked player in his country, despatched world No36 Galvez 11-6, 11-9, 11-10 (4-2) in 47 minutes to earn a place in the main draw of the PSA Super Series Platinum event against Karim Darwish, the No8 seed from Egypt.

Shahid Zaman was unable to join his compatriot in the first round. The 24-year-old from Quetta, a former Pakistan No1, went down 11-7, 10-11 (0-2), 10-11 (1-3), 11-9, 11-10 (2-0) to England's Jonathan Kemp in 55 minutes. Kemp, one of four Englishmen to survive today's qualifying finals, is drawn to face Anthony Ricketts, the fifth seed from Australia who is making his PSA Tour comeback at in Kuwait after treatment for an elbow injury.

England's Leeds-based Alister Walker defeated India's Saurav Ghosal, a student at Leeds University, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9 and has the toughest draw of all the qualifiers: The 24-year-old will face Egypt's top seed Amr Shabana, the world No1 from Cairo. Shabana, already winner of two PSA Super Series events this year, is playing his first event since being forced to withdraw from last month's Canary Wharf Classic with a wrist injury.

Qualifying for the women's WISPA Gold event got underway today, with players from six nations through to tomorrow's qualifying finals.

Qualifying finals:
Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 10-11 (0-2), 11-8, 11-4, 11-7 (36m)
Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt Amr Mansi (EGY) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7 (48m)
Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt Kashif Shuja (NZL) 11-2, 11-5, 11-8 (34m)
Alister Walker (ENG) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9 (51m)
Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Eric Galvez (MEX) 11-6, 11-9, 11-10 (4-2) (47m)
Bradley Ball (ENG) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 11-10 (2-0), 11-4, 11-7 (55m)
Jonathan Kemp (ENG) bt Shahid Zaman (PAK) 11-7, 10-11 (0-2), 10-11 (1-3), 11-9, 11-10 (2-0) (55m)
Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Dylan Bennett (NED) 11-8, 11-1, 11-4 (31m)
Women's 1st qualifying round:
Engy Kheirallah (EGY) bt Heba Alaa El Torky (EGY) 9-0, 9-1, 9-2 (23m)
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt Kirsty McPhee (ENG) 9-2, 9-7, 9-5 (31m)
Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt Jenna Gates (ENG) 9-2, 9-1, 9-2 (27m)
Jaclyn Hawkes (NZL) bt Adel Weir (RSA) 9-1, 9-3, 9-1 (17m)
Annelize Naude (NED) bt Lauren Siddall (ENG) 9-5, 9-3, 9-4 (40m)
Kasey Brown (AUS) bt Carlene Rossel-Reed (RSA) 9-0, 9-2, 9-0 (21m)
Raneem El Weleily (EGY) bt Dipika Pallikal (IND) 9-0, 9-1, 9-1 (21m)
Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND) 9-2, 9-1, 9-2 (20m)