LAHORE - Pakistan title hopes Tayyab Aslam and Nasir Iqbal entered the quarterfinals of the 21st Asian Individual Squash Championship at Mushaf Squash Complex, Islamabad on Thursday.

Pakistan number one player Tayyab Aslam overcame compatriot Israr Ahmad 3-1 with the final score-line of 11-8, 7-11, 11-2 and 12-10 after 45 minutes of play. However, Nasir Iqbal had to toil hard in the court to show the exit of his challenger Abdullah Mohammed Al-Tamimi of Qatar 3-2 in a nerve-breaking 56 minutes contest. The final score-line was 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11 and 12-10. 

After losing the first game by 9-11 against Abdullah Mohammed Al-Tamimi, Nasir fought back by winning the second and third games by 11-9, 11-9. Al-Tamimi then bounced back and won the fourth game by 8-11 to equal the match at 2-all. In the decisive game, a see-saw battle between the two strong players was witnessed but Nasir held her nerves and took the decisive game 12-10 to reach the quarterfinals. 

Pakistan’s Asim Khan missed the easy opportunity to qualify for quarterfinals as he lost the close encounter against Mohammad Syafiq Bin Mohd Kamal of Malaysia by 13-11, 6-11, 11-3, 5-11, 5-11 in 73 minutes match while top seed Ng Eain Yow from Malaysia beat Farhan Zaman of Pakistan by 11-4, 11-4, 11-8. 

In other matches of the day, Lau Tsz Kwan of Hong Kong played well against Syed Azlan Iqbal S Amjad of Qatar and outpaced him with a score of 14-12, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4 in 35 minutes while Yuen Chee Wern of Malaysia overpowered Lee Ho Yin of Hong Kong with the score being 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7 in 38 minutes, Yip Tsz Fung of Hong Kong beat Mohammad AddeenIdrakie Bin Bahtiar of Malaysia 11-5, 11-9, 11-2 in 27 minutes, Leung Chi Hin Henry of Hong Kong defeated Pakistan’s Amaad Fareed 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 in 75 minutes. 

In women’s event, all the local girls lost their matches and the foreign players advanced to the next round. Ho Tze Lok of Hong Kong trounced Yeheni Kuruppu of Sri Lanka 11-2, 11-0, 11-2 in 17 minutes, Chan Yiwen of Malaysia routed Pakistan’s Komal Khan 11-5, 11-1, 11-1 (in 13 minutes, Chan Sin Yuk of Hong Kong thumped Pakistan’s Anam Mustafa Aziz 11-2, 11-1, 11-1 in 11 minutes while Rachel Mae Arnold of Malaysia outsmarted Noor Ul Ain Ejaz 11-3, 11-2, 11-2 in just 1n just 10 minutes.