05/02/2008
KOLKATA INTERNATIONAL
Mansoor Zaman Records Major Tour Triumph In Kolkata
Kolkata International
Calcutta Racket Club, 03-08 Feb, $30k |
Round One
05 Feb |
Quarters
06 Feb |
Semis
07 Feb |
Final
08 Feb |
[1] Azlan Iskandar
(Mas)
11/3, 11/9, 3/11, 11/6 (38m)
Shahid Zaman (Pak) |
Shahid Zaman
5-11, 11-6, 11-8,
11-6 (40m)
Mansoor Zaman |
Mansoor Zaman
11-5, 4-11,
7-11, 11-7, 11-9 (45m)
Omar Mosaad |
Mansoor Zaman
11-8, 11-7,
4-11, 11-8 (54m)
Ong Beng Hee
|
[5] Mansoor Zaman
(Pak)
12/10, 11/9, 13/15, 11/8
[Q] Jethro Binns (Wal) |
[3] Omar Mosaad (Egy)
11/8, 11/7, 11/9 (26m)
[Q] Gaurav Nandrajog (Ind) |
Omar Mosaad
11-8, 4-11, 11-9,
11-1 (38m)
Saurav Ghosal |
[7] Saurav Ghosal
(Ind)
10/12, 11/7, 12/10, 11/7 (55m)
[Q] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy) |
[Q] Rob Sutherland
(Wal)
11/7, 11/7, 6/11, 11/5 (34m)
[6] Omar Abdel Aziz (Egy) |
Omar Abdel Aziz
6-11, 11-3, 7-11,
11-1, 11-7 (68m)
Aamir Atlas Khan |
Omar Abdel Aziz
11-8, 9-11, 6-11,
11-8, 11-4 (70m)
Ong Beng Hee
|
Ritwik Bhattacharya
(Ind)
11/8, 11/7, 11/6 (33m)
[4] Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak) |
Siddarth Suchde (Ind)
11/4, 11/5, 11/6 (34m)
[8] Farhan Mehboob (Pak) |
Farhan Mehboob
11-10 (2-0), 11-9,
11-4 (54m)
Ong Beng Hee |
Amr Mansi (Egy)
11/7, 11/8, 11/2 (29m)
[2] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) |
Mansoor
Zaman Records Major Tour Triumph In Kolkata
Pakistan's Mansoor Zaman claimed one of the
most important triumphs of his career when he upset second-seeded Asian
rival Ong Beng Hee in the final of the Kolkata International
in India to win the 3-star
PSA Tour
event at the Calcutta Rackets Club in Kolkata.
It was the pair's 13th senior clash since
contesting the Asian Junior Championships final in Beng Hee's home
country
Malaysia in 1999 - with the Malaysian boasting a 9-3
head-to-head advantage before their first confrontation on Indian soil.
Furthermore, Zaman is currently languishing at 35 in the
world rankings - his lowest position since reaching a career-high world
No11 in May 2003.
But the 27-year-old left-hander from
Peshawar
- son of the former Pakistani great Qamar Zaman - was in inspired
form in the former city of Calcutta. Seeded five, Zaman overcame cousin
and former Pakistan number one Shahid Zaman in the quarter-finals
before upsetting Egypt's rising star Omar Mosaad, the No3 seed, in
the semis.
Zaman raced to a two-game lead over Ong Beng Hee, ranked 18
in the world, in the Kolkata final. Though the Malaysian came back to
take the third game, Zaman stick to his game-plan and went on to win 11-8,
11-7, 4-11, 11-8 in 54 minutes.
It was not only Zaman's first ever PSA Tour win over Beng Hee, but his
first title win from such a low seeding for more than six years. The win
takes his Tour title tally to six.
"This is a big occasion winning this
tournament," said Zaman. "Perhaps I am in the best form of my career. At
the moment my prime target is to break into top 10 and probably I will
reach there by the year end.
"My next target is the British Open. A few great Pakistani
players have their names in the honour list there and I want to emulate
them."
Mansoor
& Beng Hee Renew Asian Rivalry In Kolkata
Malaysian Ong Beng Hee and Pakistani Mansoor Zaman - two of
the most successful squash players in Asia who have faced each other
countless times in the region - will line up for the first time in
India in the final of the Kolkata International after surviving
tough five-game semi-finals today (Thursday) in the 3-star
PSA
Tour
event at the Calcutta Rackets Club in Kolkata.
Zaman, the fifth seed, upset Egypt's No3 seed Omar Mosaad 11-5,
4-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 in 45 minutes, while Ong Beng Hee, the second seed,
took almost twice as long to overcome another Egyptian Omar Abdel Aziz
11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4 in 70 minutes.
Whilst this will be the first
PSA Tour
final in which the two Asians have met, they have contested one Asian
Junior Championship final (in 1999, won by Zaman); one Asian Games
final (in 2002, won by Beng Hee); and three Asian Championships'
finals (in 2000, 2002 and 2004, all won by the Malaysian).
Abdel
Aziz Earns
Semi-Final Place In Kolkata
Sixth seed Omar Abdel Aziz twice came from behind to
upset
Pakistan's No4 seed Aamir Atlas Khan
in the quarter-finals of the Kolkata International to ensure
Egyptian interest in both semi-finals of the 3-star
PSA Tour
squash event at the Calcutta Rackets Club
in Kolkata,
India.
The
24-year-old from
Cairo prevailed 6-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-1, 11-7 in 68 minutes - the longest
match of the day - to set up his surprise quarter-final clash with Ong
Beng Hee. After the shock exit of favourite Mohd Azlan Iskandar,
the second seed is carrying Malaysian hopes alone through to the last four
after beating Pakistan's Farhan Mehboob 11-10 (2-0), 11-9, 11-4.
Unseeded Pakistani Shahid Zaman, who beat Iskandar in the first
round, took the opening game against cousin Mansoor Zaman in the
quarter-finals - but the fifth seed soon showed his class as he strode to
a 5-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 victory in 40 minutes.
Mansoor will face third seed Omar Mosaad after the Egyptian ended
domestic interest in the event by beating Saurav Ghosal, the
seventh seed who was born in Kolkata, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9, 11-1.
Zaman
Zaps Azlan In Kolkata Upset
Unseeded Pakistani Shahid Zaman created the biggest
possible upset in the Kolkata International when he ousted
Malaysian favourite Mohd Azlan Iskandar in today's (Tuesday) first
round of the 3-star
PSA Tour
squash event at the
Calcutta Rackets Club in
Kolkata,
India.
Iskandar made a number of unforced errors in the opening game as Zaman
capitalized on these mistakes and moved 1/0 up after just six minutes.
In the second game, the Malaysian started on a positive note and won the
first four points convincingly. But Zaman picked his game and took the
next seven points in quick succession - before playing some amazing nicks
to take the second game.
When Shahid came on court for the third he looked tired and sluggish.
Iskandar took full advantage of this and duly won the game to reduce the
deficit.
But Zaman came back stronger in the fourth - and clinched a shock 11-3,
11-9, 3-11, 11-6 victory in 38 minutes to send the favourite packing!
Shahid now faces his cousin for a place in the semi-finals after
Mansoor Zaman, the fifth seed, beat Welsh qualifier Jethro Binns
11-10 (2-0), 11-9, 10-11 (3-5), 11-8.
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