An all-Peshawar battle brought the 2011 CAS International to a close today when top seed Farhan Mehboob held off the challenge of fourth seed Mansoor Zaman to win the long-established PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash title at the Mushaf Squash Complex in the Pakistan capital Islamabad.
Both players were stretched in the semi-finals – Pakistan No2 Mehboob needing 53 minutes to see off third-seeded compatriot Yasir Butt in four games, and the country’s experienced former number one Zaman being extended to five games by Farhan’s unseeded older brother Waqar Mehboob before prevailing in 64 minutes.
But 22-year-old favourite Farhan was in command throughout the final, beating his 31-year-old opponent 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 in just 35 minutes to extend his winning Tour run over Zaman to seven matches since 2007.
While Zaman won the Chief of Air Staff International title back in 2001, and has made the final a further four times since then, it was Mehboob’s maiden CAS title success.
The triumph marks the fourth PSA World Tour title triumph of Mehboob’s career.
Air Chief Marshall Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, who is also the President of the Pakistan Squash Federation, was the Chief Guest at the final and awarded prizes and trophies to the players.
