Ashour & Bennett Deny Hosts Maximum Success In Pakistan Open Qualifiers

Dutchman Dylan Bennett and Egypt's world junior champion Ramy Ashour prevented a 'full-house' of Pakistanis qualifying for the main draw of the Bank Alfalah Pakistan Open, after contrasting victories in today's qualifying finals in Karachi.

Ashour (pictured), the 17-year-old from Cairo who was the surprise winner of the world junior crown almost a year ago in Pakistan, despatched former Pakistan No1 Amjad Khan 11-2 11-1 10-11 11-5 in just 22 minutes to set up a first round clash with Malaysia's tenth seed Ong Beng Hee, himself a former world junior champion.

It took Dutchman Dylan Bennett 72 minutes to overcome Pakistan's Khalid Atlas Khan 11-9 3-11 11-8 8-11 11-8 - a defeat which prevents 19-year-old Khalid joining his younger brother Aamir Atlas Khan in the first round. The 14-year-old has been given a wild card into the event, where he meets England's title-holder James Willstrop, whilst Bennett's opponent is another English seed, Nick Matthew.

Qualifying finals:
Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 (47m)
Dylan Bennett (NED) bt Khalid Atlas Khan (PAK) 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 (72m)
Ramy Ashour (EGY) bt Amjad Khan (PAK) 11-2, 11-1, 10-11, 11-5 (22m)
Aqib Hanif (PAK) bt Bilal Zaman (PAK) 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6 (44m)
Basit Ashfaq (PAK) bt Majid Khan (PAK) 11-7, 10-11 (4-6), 11-7, 11-8 (51m)
Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) bt Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK) 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3 (45m)
Khayal Muhammad (PAK) bt Farrukh Zaman (PAK) 9-11, 11-10, 11-8, 11-8 (52m)
Yasir Butt (PAK) bt Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 11-10, 11-4, 11-1 (28m)