Safeer Ullah Stuns Majid In Karachi Upset
3 Nov 2008
Pakistan qualifier Safeer Ullah Khan defeated eighth-seeded compatriot Majid Khan - ranked more than 130 places higher in the world - in today's first round of the CNS International to claim an unexpected place in the last eight of the established $25,000 PSA Tour squash event in its eighth year at the Roshan Khan/Jahangir Khan Squash Centre in Karachi, Pakistan.
Safeer Ullah, ranked 214 in the world, took just 20 minutes to overcome Khan 11-7, 11-7, 11-2 and will now face fellow countryman Aamir Atlas Khan for a place in the semis.
Atlas Khan, the 18-year-old No2 seed, despatched former Pakistan number one Shahid Zaman 12-10, 11-4, 11-1, also in 20 minutes.
There were mixed fortunes for New Zealanders over local opponents. Seventh seed Campbell Grayson, from Auckland, went down in five games to Pakistan qualifier Amjad Khan, a former Pakistan Open champion, in five games - while Wellington's unseeded Martin Knight claimed the biggest scalp when he upset sixth-seeded Pakistani Khawaja Adil Maqbool 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 in 62 minutes.
1st round:
[1] Farhan Mehboob (PAK) bt Farhan Zaman (PAK) 6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 (34m)
Martin Knight (NZL) bt [6] Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 (62m)
[3] Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt Shamsul Islam Khan (PAK) 11-2, 2-11, 11-5, 11-2 (30m)
[Q] Amjad Khan (PAK) bt [7] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8 (55m)
[5] Yasir Butt (PAK) bt [Q] Waqar Mehboob (PAK) 11-2, 11-8, 11-3 (22m)
[4] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt [Q] Aqib Hanif (PAK) 11-13, 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (34m)
[Q] Safeer Ullah Khan (PAK) bt [8] Majid Khan (PAK) 11-7, 11-7, 11-2 (20m)
[2] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) bt Shahid Zaman (PAK) 12-10, 11-4, 11-1 (20m)