ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: India's Vivek Shokeen and Korean Cheong-Eui Kim on Thursday checked into the singles semifinals of the ITF Satellite Circuit tennis championship at the Islamabad Club.

Shokeen defeated Italian Tommaso Sanna 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 after both players fought hard for over three hours. However another Indian Rahil Syed could not maintain his winning spree and went down against Kim 3-6, 1-6.

In the doubles semifinals Mirko Pehar and Toshiaki Sakai advanced with ease as they brushed aside Moroccans Yassir Bouyahya and Kamil Filali 6-0, 6-1 in what turned out to be a one-sided affair.

Meanwhile, tournament's top seed Aqeel Khan will take on Italian Enrico Wellenfeld in the singles quarterfinal with Pehar playing Sakai. The singles semifinals are to be played on Saturday followed by the final on Sunday.

RESULTS (SINGLES QUARTEFINALS): Vivek Shokeen (Ind) bt Tommaso Sanna (Ita) 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3; Cheong-Eui Kim (Kor) bt Rahil Syed (Ind) 6-3, 6-1.