Nasir and Ghulam sail into U-14 Anti-Tobacco Day final
By Ian Fyfe
KARACHI, May 26: Nasir Mushtaq reached the final of the boys under-14 Anti-Tobacco Day tennis tournament with a 6-2, 6-2, victory over Hasan Ahmed at the Karachi Club hard courts on Wednesday.
Playing from the baseline, Nasir was in full control winning the first set 6-2 and although Hasan played much better in the second, he could not avert defeat going down in straight sets.
Nasir excelled with placing and lob shots which caught his opponent on the wrong foot on several occasions. Joining Nasir in the final was top seed 13-year-old bespectacled Ghulam Abbas, who overcame Jehangir Rashid 6-3, 6-1.
Moving all over the court like a busy bee, Ghulam won repeated applause with his double fisted forehand and backhand returns which forced his opponent into many unforced errors, especially in the second set.
Fourth seed Adnan Khan reached the men's singles semifinals accounting for the big left-hander Saif Noorsumar in three sets. In a battle of the left-handers, Saif excelling in service and forehand smashes pocketed the first set 6-4 after a keen encounter.
Adnan fought back magnificently in the second and levelled the scores 1-1 taking the second set. The spectators braced themselves for an exciting third set, but it was not to come. Saif was in tremendous pain suffering from a severe bout of stomach and leg cramps and although fighting on till the end was forced to concede the set 6-1.
Also moving into the semifinals was Jalil Khan, cashing in on some powerful smashes to end the pretension of Asad Ali Bhagat 6-2, 6-0. Later, joining Aqeel Khan in the men's doubles, Jalil registered another comfortable victory, breezing past the Das brothers Robin and Anil 6-1, 6-0.
In another encounter Adnan Khan and Khalid had to work hard while downing Imran and Asif 6-2, 6-3. Also through were the Baloch twins Saad and Samad, who had to battle hard, finally coming through 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 winners over Saif Noorsumar and Asim.
Immediately after their match the Baloch twins left for home in Hyderabad where they will be appearing for two Intermediate exams and soon after that, they will return to Karachi to resume their participation in the tournament.
In the men's veteran's doubles, Akber and Zahid found little difficulty in eliminating Tahir and Ayub 6-1, 6-1. Sohail and Karim Gul accounted for Tariq and Idress 6-2, 6-3 and Yaqoob and Zakaria beat Mumtaz and Riaz after a tough contest 6-3, 6-4.
Idrees and Tariq had to really work up a sweat while overcoming Tahir and Ayub 6-4, 6-4, in the executive doubles. They were joined in the next round by Akber and Zahid 6-4, 6-1 winners over Tariq Khan and Bilal, not to mention Salim and Imran, who warded off the challenge of Ilyas and Zakaria 6-2, 6-4.
Wednesday's results:
Men's singles (quarterfinals): Adnan Khan beat Saif Noorsumar 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Jalil Khan beat Asad Ali Bhagat 6-2, 6-0.
Boys Under-14 singles (semifinals): Nasir Mushtaq beat Hasan Ahmed 6-2, 6-2; Ghulam Abbas beat Jehangir Rashid 6-3, 6-1.
Men's doubles: Aqeel Khan and Jalil Khan beat Robin Das and Anil Das 6-1, 6-0; Adnan Khan and Khalid beat Imran and Asif 6-2, 6-1; Saad Baloch and Samad Baloch beat Saif Noorsumar and Asim Javed 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Veterans doubles: Akber and Zahid Hussain beat Tahir and Ayub 6-1, 6-1; Sohail and Karim Gul beat Tariq and Idrees 6-2, 6-3; Yaqoob and Zakaria beat Mumtaz and Riaz 6-3, 6-4.
Executive doubles: Akber and Zaid Hussain beat Tariq Khan and Bilal 6-4, 6-1; Idrees and Tariq beat Tahir and Ayub 6-4, 6-4; Salim and Imran beat Ilyas and Zakaria 6-2, 6-4.
