Pakistan’s Farhan Mehboob justified his top seed billing in the Jena Real Estate Championship, but disappointed the local crowd when he beat Kuwaiti hero Abdullah Almezayen in the final of the $10,000 PSA World Tour squash event in Hawally, Kuwait.
The 21-year-old from Peshawar reached the final without dropping a game – and faced surprise opponent Almezayen, the sixth seed who despatched two higher-ranked players to make it to the climax.
Mehboob, ranked 47 in the world, was unable to maintain his straight games run in the event – but the Pakistani ultimately held off the challenge of the promising Kuwaiti, ranked more than 70 places below, to win 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5 in 50 minutes.
The win marks Mehboob’s first PSA Tour title triumph of the year – but the third of his career.
Just 24 hours after removing the fourth seed to reach the semi-finals of the Jena Real Estate Championship in Kuwait, local hero Abdullah Almezayen continued his impressive run in the inaugural $10,000 PSA World Tour squash event inHawally by ousting fifth-seeded Egyptian Andrew Wagih Shoukry to reach the final at the Qadsia Sporting Club.
The promising 22-year-old Kuwaiti, ranked 120 in the world, battled for 51 minutes to overcome Shoukry 11-7, 11-3, 13-15, 11-8 to celebrate his sixth appearance in a PSA Tour final.
The climax will be an all-left-handed affair in which Almezayen will take on top seed Farhan Mehboob, the world No47 from Pakistan.
In his third successive straight games win in the event, the 21-year-old from Peshawar powered to an 11-4, 11-2, 11-6 victory over 16-year-old Danish Atlas Khan, the No8 seed who is also from Peshawar.
Mehboob, nephew of the legendary Pakistani Jansher Khan, is also celebrating his sixth Tour final appearance.
Kuwaiti Abdullah Almezayen provided unexpected local interest in the semi-finals of the Jena Real Estate Championship following an impressive four-game upset over fourth-seeded Pakistani Waqar Mehboob in the quarter-finals of the inaugural $10,000 PSA World Tour squash event at Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally.
The promising left-hander, ranked 120 in the world, battled for 46 minutes to overcome Mehboob, ranked 14 places higher, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2.
Almezayen, aged 22, will now face fifth seed Andrew Wagih Shoukry after the Egyptian claimed the event’s biggest scalp to date with an 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 4-11, 11-2 win over England’s No2 seed Jaymie Haycocks.
The other semi will be an all-Pakistani affair between Peshawar city compatriots Farhan Mehboob and Danish Atlas Khan. Event favourite Mehboob, 21, beat seventh-seeded Italian Andrea Torricini 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 while 16-year-old Khan, the No8 seed, recovered from a game down to overcome Kuwaiti outsider Bader Al Hussaini 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9 in a 72-minute marathon.
Unseeded Kuwaiti Bader Al Hussaini doubled domestic interest in the quarter-finals of the Jena Real Estate Championship when he upset third seed Neil Hitchens in the opening round of the inaugural $10,000 PSA World Toursquash event at Qadsia Sporting Club in Hawally, Kuwait.
The 26-year-old, ranked more than 100 places lower than Hitchens, beat the Englishman 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 13-11 in 49 minutes and will now face eighth seed Danish Atlas Khan for a place in the last four.
Pakistani Khan despatched Egyptian teenager Islam El Fiky 11-2, 11-2, 11-3.
Kuwait interest is being led by sixth seed Abdullah Almezayen. The 22-year-old left-hander took only 17 minutes to claim his place in the last eight, beating Jordan qualifier Ahmad Al-Saraj 11-3, 11-0, 11-5.