KARACHI: Pakistani interest in the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions ended when its top player Aamir Atlas Khan bowed out in the very first round at Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Ranked 26th in the international circuit and the only player from Pakistan to be playing the main rounds of the event, Aamir failed to put an impressive show against world No 6 Egyptian Mohamed El Shorbagy. Mohamed recorded a 11-4, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5 triumph to confirm his presence in the last-16 of the event.

The man from Alexandria next plays the hard-hitting Australian Cameron Pilley who ousted Finland’s Olli Tuominen in three games. Meanwhile, Colombian qualifier Miguel Angel Rodriguez upended Hisham Mohamed Ashour in a hard-fought five-game thriller to secure a surprise place in the last-16.

Rodriguez faces another Egyptian Amr Shabana in the second round. Top seed Nick Matthew looked strong and fit as he defeated Wael El Hindi in four games. Matthew’s next opponent is compatriot Adrian Grant, his Commonwealth Games Pairs gold medal-winning partner.

Gregory Gaultier, the tournament’s third seed and the 2009 titleholder, moved into the second round with a straight games victory over Spaniard Borja Golan Santin. His opponent will be Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller who defeated qualifier Stephen Coppinger of South Africa in four games.