Jahangir suffers second defeat

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 44

Jahangir suffers second defeat

NZPA-Reuter Karachi, Pakistan Jansher Khan showed for the second time in nine days that the once invincible Jahangir Khan is indeed mortal when he beat the world No. 1 to take the Pakistan Open squash title in Karachi yesterday, Jansher, aged 18, survived a match point in the third set of the final and completed a stunning recovery with a 1-9, 1-9,10-8, 9-5, 9-0 victory over his fellow Pakistani. Jahangir, who was unbeaten from ' April, 1981 until November, 1986, has subsequently suffered four defeats. He lost to Jansher in the Hong Kong Open in straight games, the previous week-end.

Vet few of the spectators packing the Karachi court gallery would have put

rupees on Jansher when he trailed, 5-8, in the third set The defending champion, aged 24, had been as masterful as ever, dominating the centre of the court, taking almost every shot early and wearing down his youthful opponent As Jahangir served for the match, it seemed he was poised to avenge emphatically his straight-sets defeat by Jansher in Hong Kong. But Jahangir's crucial drop shot dropped just too tow and into the tin. Thereafter the final tamed into a nightmare for the man unbeaten on his home soil since 1980.

Jahangir led, 5-2, in the fourth set but then crumbled and did not win another point In the fifth set it appeared, he had virtually stepped trying and it was all over in five minutes.