Hunt succumbs to youth

Press, 26 April 1988, Page 56

Hunt succumbs to youth

i r NZPA-Reuter ) Paris The: Austral it n veteran Geoff) Hunt. ) e ght times British Open champion, succumbed to youth in the second round of the Paris Open squash championship vesterdav when he lost 9-2, 9-7. 5-9. 9-0. to Pakistan’s Zarak Jahan Khan. The 40-year-)ld former world champip i caused a major upset fallen he defeated his virds-suffering compatriot. R)o|dney Martin, beaten ini last week's British Open I final, in straight games. But Hunt wjas no match for Zarak, 20 years his junior, and the Australian made a string of unforced errors in the second game before losing )a commanding lead. | Hunt threatened briefly in the third [when Zarak relaxed. But he could not sustain the challenge and the Pakistani crushed him in the fourth game to complete victory ..in 75 minutes. “I was surprised how fit Geoff was,”) Zarak said afterwards. "I thought I’d win much easier. He still

could beat a lot of young players." The reigning world champion and top seed. Jansher Khan, of Pakistan, continued his smooth passage towards the final with a 9-6, 9-2, 9-7. win over . England's Geoff) .Williams. He meets thee former world champion," Ross Norman, of NeV Zealand, in the quarterfinals. The second seed, Chris Dittmar, of Australia, also eased through Secon.d round result: 5-r-Chris Robertson (Au. ctralia beat 16 —Kelvin Smith (Australia; 9-5, 9-3. 10-8; 3— Ross Norman (New Zealand.) beat Jason Nicolle (England) 9-5, 9-4. 9-3; 9—Brett Martin (Australia) beat Bi—Ph 1 Kenyon (England) 9-5, 6-9. 39, 9-1, 9-4; 11—Zarak Jahan Khan (Pakistan) beat Geoff Hunt (Australia) 9-2. 9-|7. 5-9, 9-0; 14—Rodney Eyies (Australia) beat 7—Tristar Nancarrow (Australia) 9-ljO. 9-2, 9-3. 9-5: 6—Ross Thorne (Australia; beat Chris V/alker (England; 2-9. 9-5. 9-jO, 9-1: I—Jansher Khan (Pakistan) beat 10—Geoff Wiilliams (England)' 9-6, 9-2. 9]7; 2Chris Dittmar; (Australia) beat Del Harris : 95. 2-9. 9-1. 9-5. )