Zamans In Mixed Fortunes In Karachi

Pakistani cousins Shahid Zaman and Mansoor Zaman enjoyed mixed fortunes in today's quarter-finals of the CNS International in Karachi, Pakistan.

Unseeded Shahid, 22, from Quetta, reached the quarter-finals after upsetting Egypt's eighth seed Mohd Hisham Ashour in a five-game thriller. Facing fourth seed Davide Bianchetti, an Italian ranked 13 places higher in the world rankings, Shahid raced to a 5-0 lead in the first game, and went on to set up a 2/0 lead.

Unforced errors from the home player enabled Bianchetti to get the third game, but Shahid came back in the fourth to win 11-7 11-9 6-11 11-8 and become the only Pakistani through to the last four of this established $25,000 PSA Tour event.

Pakistan No1 Mansoor Zaman, the left-handed son of famed player Qamar Zaman, looked set to meet his cousin in the semi-finals when he forged a 2/0 lead against second seed Graham Ryding. However, the 24-year-old world No26 from Peshawar was unable to maintain the pressure on the Canadian. Ryding, who only four days earlier was competing in the semi-finals of the Pace Credit Union Canadian Classic in Toronto, reclaimed the initiative and swept to a 9-11 8-11 11-3 11-4 11-4 win over the sixth seed.

The other semi-final will feature England's top seed Adrian Grant and Malaysia's Ong Beng Hee, the third seed. Grant recovered from 0/2 down to beat Egypt's fifth seed Wael El Hindi 10-11 9-11 11-4 11-9 11-7 while Beng Hee beat England's unseeded Bradley Ball 11-10 7-11 11-10 11-7.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [5] Wael El Hindi (EGY) 10-11 (0-2), 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7
[3] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) bt Bradley Ball (ENG) 11-10 (3-1), 7-11, 11-10 (3-1), 11-7
Shahid Zaman (PAK) bt [4] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8
[2] Graham Ryding (CAN) bt [6] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) 9-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-4