Al-Saraj storms into NSC Series No. 2 final

KUALA LUMPUR: The NSC Series No. 2 squash championship has gone according to form and the top two seeds – Scotland’s Greg Lobban and Egypt’s Ahmad Al-Saraj – will go head-to-head in Saturday’s final at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil.

The duo scored contrasting wins in the semi-finals on Friday.

Top seed Lobban, 21, had an easier time when Pakistan’s Muhammad Shoaib Hassan retired with a back injury after trailing 11-4, 11-1 while Al-Saraj had to work extra hard to overcame Waqas Mehboob, also of Pakistan, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8.

“I want to win tomorrow (Saturday) badly. I have only watched Lobban play once – in the World Junior Championships – but I’ve never played against him.” said the 18-year-old Al-Saraj, who wishes to stay in Malaysia one day.

“I love everything about Malaysia. I would put my name in every competition in Malaysia just so I can come back here.”