Squash: Jansher survives: Jahangir fails in bold comeback

JANSHER KHAN, the world champion, took the title for the fifth time, but Jahangir Khan, the most successful player in the game's history, predictably captured much of the attention in this, his last open tournament before retirement, here yesterday, writes Richard Eaton from Karachi.

The younger Pakistani beat the 10-times former British Open champion 14-15, 15-9, 15-5, 15-6 in a World Open final that for 45 minutes looked as though it might produce a sensation. During that time, the 29-year-old Jahangir, playing only his seventh match in a brief 18-day comeback after more than nine months away from competition, had pinched the first game and had moved from 6-9 to 8-9 in the second.

Had Jahangir possessed the energy at that stage to continue with his all-out attack for just a little longer, he might have had the champion in deep trouble. Instead, Jansher moved subtly from containment to counter-attack as Jahangir tired, and, after Jansher had taken the second game, Jahangir was effectively finished.