ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: Wild card entrant Wasif Cheema marched into the pre-quarterfinals of the Satellite Circuit tennis championship on Tuesday defeating Italy's Tommaso Cafferata at the Islamabad Club.
With his 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory, Wasif joined top seed Aqeel Khan, Nomi Qamar and Asim Shafiq, all of whom had already booked their berths in the pre-quarters. Pakistan's Shahzad Khan fought tooth and nail in his match against Korean Cheong-Eul Kim but his opponent edged him 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-7 (4). Shahzad and Aqeel had earlier lost their first round doubles tie on Monday.
Another Pakistani who fell by the wayside was Jalil Khan who was beaten by India's Yannick Nelord 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. A total of five Indians have qualified for the second round and the other winners on Tuesday were Ashutosh Singh who out-pointed his fellow countryman Siddharth Gulati 6-3, 6-2 and Vivel Shokeen whose victim was Australia's Dane Fernandez who lost 6-3, 6-4.
In a doubles match, the Moroccan pair of Yassir Bouyahya and Kamil Filali qualified for the quarterfinals walloping India's Ashutosh Singh and Gurmehar Singh 6-3, 6-3.
Meanwhile, the president of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), Senetaor Dilawar Abbas on Tuesday congratulated the home players for putting up a good show in the tournament which is being held in the country after a lapse of nine years.
