Champion Iqbal Charges On In Islamabad

Teenage outsider Nasir Iqbal remained on course to defend his title in the COAS International in Pakistan when he upset second seed Farhan Mehboob in straight games in today's quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event in its tenth year at the Mushaf Squash Complex in the capital Islamabad.

The 18-year-old from Peshawar, the surprise winner of the 2011 title, took 50 minutes to overcome Mehboob, ranked more than 60 places higher, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5.

Iqbal, the only unseeded player to make the last four, will now meet Danish Atlas Khan, the 18-year-old No3 seed who defeated veteran left-hander Mansoor Zaman 11-5, 11-5, 11-6.

Danish's brother Aamir Atlas Khan will contest the other, also all-Pakistan, semi-final. The top seed - who is seeking his fourth title since 2008 - beat Waqas Mehboob 11-9, 11-1, 11-5 while his opponent Farhan Zaman, the No4 seed, recovered from a game down to overcome Muhammad Saqib Yousaf 4-11, 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7.

Semi-final line-up:
[1] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) v [4] Farhan Zaman (PAK)
Nasir Iqbal (PAK) v [3] Danish Atlas Khan (PAK)

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