Carla Khan
Encyclopedia
Carla Khan born 18 August 1981 in London
) is a Pakistan
i professional squash
player and is the granddaughter of Azam Khan
, one of the legends of squash
in Pakistan
and daughter of Jacqui Stoter and Wasil Khan. She started playing squash in England
at age 12. In her early life, her father Wasil Khan (a junior world champion) coached her in squash.
She has won five titles in her career, which are: El Salvador Open 2002, Ottawa Open 2003, Pakistan Open 2005 and Iranian Open 2007 and Austrian Open in 2008. Her highest ranking was 21st. Carla Khan's first tournament was at the prestigious British Open in 1999. After an unsuccessful first full season in 2000, she made a breakthrough the following year, but it was not until 2002 that Carla won her first title
In November 2002, at the El Salvador Open, she reached her first final against Mexican Samantha Teran
. Carla went on to beat her 9–1, 2–9, 9–3, 9–1. Her improvements continued in 2003, her most successful season yet, and won at the Ottawa International, where she came from behind to beat Melissa Martin from Australia
, 3–9, 4–9, 9–4, 9–7, 9–3. She broke into the top 30.
At the Irish Open in 2004, Carla defeated Nicol David
of Malaysia (who was ranked number 9 in the world at that time) on 15 April 2004, and achieved her highest ranking of 21. And in 2005, Carla lost in the final of the Forbes Open to England's Alison Walters. However, she made it to the final of the 1st POF WISPA tournament in Pakistan, and beat Sharon Wee of Malaysia 9–1, 9–3, 9–4. Carla never dropped a set throughout the whole tournament. Carla then ended the year by making it to yet another final, at the 4th Women Islamic Games 2005 in Tehran, but lost to Malaysian Tricia Chuah
with a score of 1–9, 9–6, 1–9, 1–9.
In late 2005 she was unwell, and struggled in early 2006 until she collapsed during the 2006 South Asian Games on 24 August 2006 while playing against Joshna Chinappa
from India. Carla was not expected to be back until 2008, but she returned playing in September 2007. This had seen her rankings slide outside the top 200 but Carla won her fourth title in 2007, Iranian open beating Donna Urquhart in the finals.
In 2008, Carla defeated England's Emma Beddoes
9–2, 9–2, 9–0 to take the Austrian Open. Carla Khan then retired. However she made a come back in 2009.
Carla appeared on the ITV dating game show Take Me Out
in January 2011.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i professional squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
player and is the granddaughter of Azam Khan
Azam Khan (squash player)
Azam Khan is a former squash player from Pakistan who won the British Open four times between 1959 and 1962.Azam was introduced to squash by his older brother, Hashim Khan, who was also one of the world's top squash players in his time. After winning the British Open in 1951, Hashim recruited Azam...
, one of the legends of squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and daughter of Jacqui Stoter and Wasil Khan. She started playing squash in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at age 12. In her early life, her father Wasil Khan (a junior world champion) coached her in squash.
She has won five titles in her career, which are: El Salvador Open 2002, Ottawa Open 2003, Pakistan Open 2005 and Iranian Open 2007 and Austrian Open in 2008. Her highest ranking was 21st. Carla Khan's first tournament was at the prestigious British Open in 1999. After an unsuccessful first full season in 2000, she made a breakthrough the following year, but it was not until 2002 that Carla won her first title
In November 2002, at the El Salvador Open, she reached her first final against Mexican Samantha Teran
Samantha Teran
Samantha Quintanilla Teran is a professional female squash player who represents Mexico. Teran first joined the WISPA Tour in 2000, and she entered the world top twenty for the first time in 2008 as she won the eighth and ninth Tour titles of her career...
. Carla went on to beat her 9–1, 2–9, 9–3, 9–1. Her improvements continued in 2003, her most successful season yet, and won at the Ottawa International, where she came from behind to beat Melissa Martin from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 3–9, 4–9, 9–4, 9–7, 9–3. She broke into the top 30.
At the Irish Open in 2004, Carla defeated Nicol David
Nicol David
Datuk Nicol Ann David is a Malaysian female professional squash player. She is currently ranked world number 1 in women's squash, and is the first Asian woman to achieve this...
of Malaysia (who was ranked number 9 in the world at that time) on 15 April 2004, and achieved her highest ranking of 21. And in 2005, Carla lost in the final of the Forbes Open to England's Alison Walters. However, she made it to the final of the 1st POF WISPA tournament in Pakistan, and beat Sharon Wee of Malaysia 9–1, 9–3, 9–4. Carla never dropped a set throughout the whole tournament. Carla then ended the year by making it to yet another final, at the 4th Women Islamic Games 2005 in Tehran, but lost to Malaysian Tricia Chuah
Tricia Chuah
Tricia Chuah, is a professional squash player who represented Malaysia.Tricia grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and started playing squash at the start of her teens. At sixteen, she started to compete internationally....
with a score of 1–9, 9–6, 1–9, 1–9.
In late 2005 she was unwell, and struggled in early 2006 until she collapsed during the 2006 South Asian Games on 24 August 2006 while playing against Joshna Chinappa
Joshna Chinappa
Joshna Chinappa is a squash player based in India.Joshna was the first Indian girl to win the British Squash Championship title in 2003 in the under 19 category, at Sheffield, U.K and was also the youngest Indian women's national champion....
from India. Carla was not expected to be back until 2008, but she returned playing in September 2007. This had seen her rankings slide outside the top 200 but Carla won her fourth title in 2007, Iranian open beating Donna Urquhart in the finals.
In 2008, Carla defeated England's Emma Beddoes
Emma Beddoes
Emma Beddoes, is a professional squash player who represented England as a junior. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 30 in June 2009.- External links :...
9–2, 9–2, 9–0 to take the Austrian Open. Carla Khan then retired. However she made a come back in 2009.
Carla appeared on the ITV dating game show Take Me Out
Take Me Out (game show)
Take Me Out is a television dating game show, hosted by Paddy McGuinness, that started airing on ITV1 in the United Kingdom and TV3 Ireland on 2 January 2010. It is based on the Original Australian TV show Taken Out. In September 2010, Irish broadcaster TV3 started broadcating an Irish version of...
in January 2011.