Farhan survives Moin’s challenge in DG Rangers Squash Championship
Top seeded and favorite Farhan Zaman was tested by Punjab’s Moin Rauf but the veteran overcomes the challenger by 3-2 in the 11th DG Rangers Open Squash Championship at Rangers Jahangir Khan squash complex.
Farhan Zaman faced the Moin challenge while the other seeded players earned victories in straight games. Farhan Zaman easily won the first game but the challenger downs Zaman in next two games and takes lead by 2-1. Later, Zaman came back strongly to win the last two games in dominating position and won the thrilling encounter by 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5.
Second seed Ahsan Ayaz, third seed Tayyab Aslam and fourth seed Israr Ahmed won their matches convincingly by 3-0 over their opponents and make way to reach the second round of the championship.
Qualifier Mehran Javed stunned M. Farhan by 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 and got the attention as he joined the top seeds in the next round. Asif Khalil another qualifier challenged Ali Bokhari to the last game but the experienced Bokhari won the match by 11-7, 6-11, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7.
Top four seeded women players moved into the next round as they won their matches in straight games and earned victories. Sadia Gul women top seed took just seven minutes to post 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 victory over Sindh’s Saliha Rasheed. Second seed Anum Aziz cruises opponent Soniya Salman in just 13 minutes by 11-4, 11-3, 11-5. Third seed Madina Zafar won her match against Hareem Ilyas by 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 in just 10 minutes and fourth seed Noor-ul-Huda overcomes Ilsa Imran in 15 minutes by 11-4, 11-6, 11-8.
Men’s and Women defending champions Farhan Menboob and Samar Anjum have not shown up in the championship so it provide opportunity for the other players to grab the title. Jahangir Khan the former giant of the game, formally inaugurated the championship while secretary Sindh Squash Association Rashid Ahmed and Sector Commander Sachal Rangers Brig Naseem Pervez were also present on the occasion.
Following are the results
Men's 1st Round
| 1 | Farhan Zaman (PAF) | def. | Moin Rauf (Punjab) | 11-7, 5-11, 8-11,11-7,11-3 |
| 2 | Mehran Javed (PAF) | def. | M. Farhan (SNGPL) | 11-5,11-6,11-7 |
| 3 | Waqas Mehboob | def. | Sikandar Khan (Sindh) | 11-2,11-7,11-5 |
| 4 | Amaad Fareed (SNGPL) | def. | Abbas Zeb (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | 11-4, 7-11, 11-4,11-6 |
| 5 | Zahir Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | def. | Mahad Javed (Sindh) | 11-8,11-7,11-4 |
| 6 | Bilal Zakir (Army) | def. | Naveed Rehman (Sindh) (wildcard) | 11-3,9-2 (retired hurt) |
| 7 | Tayyab Aslam (ZTBL) | def. | Waqar Mehboob (PAF) | 11-8,11-7,11-7 |
| 8 | Israr Ahmed (SNGPL) | def. | Zeeshan Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | 11-8,11-7,11-7 |
| 9 | Shahjahan Khan (Balochistan) | def. | Yasir Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | 11-0,11-3,11-4 |
| 10 | Salman Saleem (Punjab) | def. | Saad Abdullah (Sindh) | 9-11,11-1,11-2,11-8 |
| 11 | Kashif Asif (SNGPL) | def. | Sadam-ul-Haq (Army) | 11-8,10-12,5-11,11-5,11-9 |
| 12 | Faraz Mohammad (Navy) | def. | M. Abdul Qadir (SNGPL) | 11-8,11-8,11-6 |
| 13 | Ahsan Ayaz (PIA) | def. | Fawad Khalil (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | 11-5,11-1,11-4 |
| 14 | Ali Bukhari (Punjab) | def. | Asif Khali | 11-7,6-11,4-11,11-8,11-7 |
| 15 | M. Asim Khan (SNGPL) | def. | M. Naeem (Navy) | 13-11,11-4,11-7 |
| 16 | Noman Khan (Sindh) | def. | Abdul Malik (Balochistan) | 8-11,11-7,11-8,11-9 |
Women's 1st Round
| 1 | Sadia Gul (SNGPL) | def. | Saliha Rasheed (Sindh) | 11-3, 11-6, 11-3 |
| 2 | Komal Khan (WAPDA) | def. | Nabiha Imran (Sindh) | 11-4,11-6,11-3 |
| 3 | Rushna Mehboob (Army) | def. | Tehrema Islam (Sindh) | 11-7,11-3,12-10 |
| 4 | Saima Shaukat (WAPDA) | def. | Mehwish (Sindh) | 11-0,11-0,11-0 |
| 5 | Zoya Khalid (Army) | def. | Kainat Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) | 11-8,11-0,11-2 |
| 6 | Noor-ul-Ejaz (SNGPL) | def. | Zainab Khan (Sindh) | 11-5,3-11, 9-11,14-12,11-3 |
| 7 | Noor-ul-Huda (SNGPL) | def. | (wildcard) Ilsa Imran (Sindh) | 11-4,11-6,11-8 |
| 8 | Maira Saleem (Sindh) | def. | Iqra Butt (Punjab) | 11-2,11-5,11-3 |
| 9 | Aina Sheikh (Sindh) | def. | Bushra Khaild (Punjab) | 11-6, 9-11, 9-11,11-9,11-8 |
| 10 | Riffat Khan (WAPDA) | def. | Alina Zehra (Sindh) | 11-4,11-1,11-3 |
| 11 | Faiza Zafar (Sindh) | def. | Fehmina Asim (Sindh) | 11-5,11-4,11-3 |
| 12 | Zahab K Khan (Sindh) | def. | Neha K Khan | 11-7,12-10,11-8 |
| 13 | Madina Zafar (SNGPL) | def. | Hareem Ilyas (Sindh) | 11-2,11-2,11-4 |
| 14 | Aiman Shahbaz (SNGPL) | def. | Meyral Sheikh (Sindh) | 11-1,11-5,11-7 |
| 15 | Amna Fayyaz (PIA) | def. | Fatima Zafar (Sindh) | 11-4,11-2,11-1 |
| 16 | Anam Aziz (Sindh) | def. | Soniya Salman | 11-4,11-3,11-5 |
