Results – Quarter-Final: CAS
International Championship 2015
Abouelghar
Lifts CAS International Crown
Number two seed Mohamed Abouelghar captured the CAS International
Squash Championship, PSA M25 title after coming through a five game
epic with fellow Egyptian Omar Abdel Meguid in the final.
Abouelghar had downed home favourite Nasir Iqbal in the semi-final
while Meguid dispatched compatriot Karim Ali Fathi in four to earn
his spot in the final where he was attempting to retain the title he
won last year.
Meguid was the victor in the first game after dominating the 'T'
throughout to secure an 11-7 triumph but Abouelghar battled back to
level the encounter up.
The World No.36 took the lead for the first time in game three after
a number of demanding rallies went in the 22-year-old's favour as he
recorded a 13-11 win on the tie-break but Meguid clawed a game back
in the fourth to send the match into a fifth game.
A number of nervy rallies played out in front of the gathered
spectators with Abouelghar edging it to secure a 7-11, 11-9, 13-11,
6-11, 11-9 victory to claim his fifth PSA World Tour title.
Seeds
Safely Through to Semis in Islamabad
The quarter-final stage of the CAS International Squash
Championship, PSA M25 tournament saw the top four seeded players,
led by Omar Abdel Meguid, secure their spots in the semis.
World No.28 Meguid went up against Pakistani qualifier Farhan
Mehboob in his quarter-final tie with Mehboob in a confident mood
after his upset of Danish Atlas Khan in the previous round.
Indeed, Mehboob took the opening game against Meguid but the number
one seed fought back and took three games without reply to earn his
semi-final berth with a 9-11, 11-1, 14-12, 11-7 victory.
He will face off with compatriot Karim Ali Fathi for a place in the
final after Fathi defeated Tayyab Aslam in straight games.
Nasir Iqbal meanwhile is the only home hope left in the tournament
after he defeated wildcard Israr Ahmed 3-1. Mohamed Abouelghar will
be his opponent in the semi-final after he saw off Shehab Essam.
Preview
The main draw of the CAS International
Squash Championship, PSA M25 event begins on Saturday October 3 as a
number of absorbing matches get set to play out in front of spectators
at the Mushaf Squash Complex in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Defending champion Omar Abdel Meguid is the number one seed for this
event as he looks to retain the title he won last year when he defeated
Aamir Atlas Khan in the final.
Meguid has not been able to claim any PSA World Tour titles so far in
2015 but did make it to the final of the Stratos Seattle Open back in
March.
The 27-year-old Egyptian begins his title defence against Waqar Mehboob
in the opening round with a possible matchup with Danish Atlas Khan on
the horizon if both players can make it past their first round ties.
Mohamed Abouelghar is also amongst the forerunners for the title and is
on the hunt for his first PSA World Tour crown since 2014’s Sekisui
Open.
The World No.38, who reached the quarter-final of the CCI International
JSW Indian Squash Circuit earlier this month, lines up against Kashif
Asif in round one.
Third seed Karim Ali Fathi is looking to improve his form this year
which has seen him fail to make it out of the quarter-final stage at any
of the events he has appeared at so far in 2015.
With nine PSA World Tour titles to his name, Fathi is an experienced
competitor in the latter stages of events and still has the potential to
be a real danger this time out. He takes on Austria’s Aqeel Rehman for a
place in the quarter-final.
Pakistan No.1 Nasir Iqbal meanwhile is the leading home hope at the
event and has captured two PSA World Tour titles this year on home soil.
He reached the quarter-final of this tournament in 2014 and, although he
is a dark horse for the title this time around, has a real chance of
making an impact. Compatriot Khawaja Adil Maqbool awaits him in the
opening round.
