ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: Unseeded Wasif Cheema and the veteran Hameedul Haq on Thursday scored upset victories at the PTF Complex to go storming into the semifinals of the Greener Pakistan National Clay Court Championship.
The emerging Wasif showed second seed Nomi Qamar the door with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 win against a player who is on the Pakistan Davis Cup team. Nomi, won the first set but Wasif bounced back to take the second by breaking the second and fourth games of his opponent from Karachi.
The final set was marked by aces, lobs and a combination of fore and backhand strokes as Wasif kept his nerve to take the set and the match. Wasif's opponent in Friday's semifinal will be Asian veteran champion Hameed of Wapda, who blew Davis Cup player Shahzad Khan, the 8th seed off court with a 6-2, 6-2 victory earlier in the morning.
Hameed, confident after having beaten Jaleel Khan, another member of Pakistan's Davis Cup squad, in his opening match, showed flashes of his brilliant past to score a 6-2, 6-2 win.
A three-time national clay court winner, Hameed made full use of his experience on a surface he loves to play on, to leave Shahzad in trouble. Shahzad could not cope with Hameed's sizzling strokes and after being 2-4 down in the second set, conceded the match.
Top seed Aqeel Khan set up a meeting in the semifinal with Asim Shafik overcoming Inam Gul in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Asim, the third seed, on the other hand eliminated Muhammad Shafik 6-1, 6-2 in what was an easy match for him.
Meanwhile the team of Hameed and Wasif advanced to the men's doubles final with a 6-1, 6-2 stroll over No. 2 seeds Nomi Qamar and Mehmood Khan. Their opponents in the final will be Asim Shafik-Shahzad Khan conquerors of brothers Aqeel and Jaleel Khan 6-4, 6-1.
In the women's singles competition, Mariam Rahim defeated Natasha Afridi 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the semifinals. Also going through were Nida Rahim, a 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 winner against Mehvish Chishtie and Sana Baghat who walloped Saba Aziz 6-4, 6-3. Nousheen Ihtisham also booked a place in the last four, breezing past Maria Rahim 6-0, 6-1.
Results:
Men's singles quarterfinals: Aqeel Khan bt Inam Gul 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, Hameedul Haq bt Shahzad Khan 6-2, 6-2, Asim Shafik bt Muhammad Shafik 6-1, 6-2, Wasif Cheema bt Nomi Qamar 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.
