Pakistan No 1 Aamir Atlas Khan stunned another higher ranked opponent in Australia’s Cameron Pilley, ranked 17th in the world, to reach the final of the CIMB Malaysian Open underway in Kuala Lumpur.

The World No 28 from Peshawar had earlier elbowed out Malaysian World No 10 Mohammad Azlan Iskandar in quarter-finals.

In the semifinal, Cameron took the first set 12-10 but Aamir bounced back in the second set 11-6.

Aamir then carried his momentum in the next two sets; winning 11-4, 11-9 to secure his place in the summit clash of the $60,000 event against French favourite Gregory Gaultier who dispatched qualifier Alan Clyne of Scotland in straight sets 11-5, 11-5, 11-1 in the other last-four encounter.

Aamir would try to repeat his feat of the Qatar Classic Open in November 2009 when he defeated Gaultier, who was then ranked top in the world, in the last-16 clash 11-6, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9.

“Gaultier is a very good player and certainly a favourite to lift the title here. However, I will not go in the final as an underdog and I will try my best to beat him to claim the title,” Aamir Atlas told PPI in a telephonic conversation.

“I beat him in 2009’s Qatar Classic Open, when he was World No 1. So I’m looking forward to beat him in the final here as well.”