On a day when the India versus Pakistan tie evoked great interest, the top teams continued to ensure their progress to the second stage of the World Men's Team Squash Championship here on Friday.
There was an outside chance of tenth-ranked India getting past seventh-ranked Pakistan as the hosts did show semblance of a fight but the focused Pakistanis won 3-0 to enhance their chances of topping Group G. These sub-continent rivals have made sure of their progress to the next stage but both have to take on lowly Kenya and Bermuda respectively on Saturday.
The possible semi-finalists - Egypt, France, England, Australia - have booked their berth in the knock-out pre quarter-finals which will be played on Sunday. The draw for the last 16 matches will be decided late Saturday night. Amongst the top players on view Friday, world number one Amr Shabana yielded a game. After Mohammed Abbas gave Egypt a 1-0 lead, beating Moritz Dahmen 11-3, 11-4, 11-5, Shabana had a tough time negotiating 67-ranked Simon Rosner.
Shabana led 5-2 in the first game before taking it at 11-7 but it was a different story in the second as the German raised his game and his reach closer to the front wall was excellent. Rosner was also more agile than the Egyptian throughout the match and he levelled the game scores. Shabana had to bring in his resources to win the next two.
"I have yet to regain my focus after winning the World Open. Even now I'm getting calls at my hotel from my countrymen and journalists from around the world," said Shabana. "I am emotionally touched about the phone calls to congratulate me including my country's vice-president. However, Simon played very well today and I had to bring in my best," he added.
Meanwhile, there was a murmur in the spectators gallery as Wael El Hindi took to his country's third match against Tim Weber clad in Rafael Nadal-style bermunda shorts. "Rafael is a good friend of mine. He advised me to go for it. He was right, I feel more comfortable," said Hindi after his 3-1 win over Webber.
As for his dropping a game to Webber, Hindi said: "I have not fully recovered from my injury during the World Open. Even now I am finding it hard to breath but I am confident that I will be able to play to my potential soon."
With almost a packed stadium rooting for the Indians, Siddharth Suchde won the first game with his power-packed play but he faltered in the next three to surrender the initiative to Farhan Mehboob.
The respective top players, Saurav Ghosal (ranked 47) for India and Amir Atlas Khan (28th) matched each other for points. Seventeen-year-old Atlas Khan's game plan to tire the Indian proved worthy in the end. The third match between Ritwik Bhattacharya and Mansoor Zaman was only of academic interest but the Pakistanis made sure that they did not lose any game.
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