Locals Lap Up PSA Tour Qualifying Opportunities In Peshawar

Home advantage clearly benefited the four Pakistanis who prevailed in today's qualifying finals of the Governor NWFP International in Peshawar - all of whom hail from the capital of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province.

Farhan Mehboob, the youngest of the Peshawar quartet, defeated compatriot Naveed Atlas Khan 11-6, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 11-7. The 18-year-old Asian Junior Champion will now meet Australia's No5 seed Aaron Frankcomb in the first round of the $25,000 PSA Tour event at the Hashim Khan Complex.

An all-Pakistan - indeed, an all-Peshawar - final is predicted, with 16-year-old top seed Aamir Atlas Khan expected to meet second seed Mansoor Zaman. Both face qualifiers in the first round, Khan to meet 23-year-old Majid Khan, and Zaman lined up against Arshad Iqbal Burki.

Qualifying finals:
Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Naveed Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-6, 10-11 (0-2), 11-4, 11-7
Amjad Khan (PAK) bt Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) 6-11, 7-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-7, 11-9
Majid Khan (PAK) bt Bilal Zaman (PAK) 11-8, 11-8, 11-7
Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) bt Khayal Muhammad Khan (PAK) 11-3, 11-10 (2-0), 9-7 ret.