Pakistan make clean sweep: Tennis

Published April 21, 2005

TAIF, April 20: Pakistan made a clean sweep in tennis winning all three gold medals when Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan won the doubles final 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) against Indonesia’s Prama Simpatraiji and Swandi Swandi. The medals helped Pakistan claim the 11th position in the first Islamic Solidarity Games which ended with the closing ceremony in Makkah on Wednesday evening.

Pakistan had won two gold and one bronze on Tuesday appearing in the the medals table for the first time in the games.

Aisam and Aqeel brushed aside the Indonesian pair in the doubles final to clinch the third gold for the country on Wednesday enabling the contingent to return home with some achievement.

Pakistan had qualified for the final of doubles after beating Algerian pair of Abdul Haq and Sulimane Saudi 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the semifinals.

Pakistan took part in 10 different events but except in tennis failed to get any other medal. Aisamul-Haq played a key role in winning three gold medals by playing 10 sets in less than 24 hours—-eight on Tuesday and two on Wednesday. He won the team event finals by clinching the second singles in two sets followed by a well contested three-set singles’ final and another three-set semifinals of the doubles before playing in the two-set doubles’s finals.

“Making a clean sweep in the competition is a special occasion for us and thank God our performance enabled Pakistan to achieve something, Aisam and Aqeel said.

“ Despite the extra work I had to do it was teamwork which helped us in getting our flag hoisted here “, Aisam said.

“I was a dejected person when I lost the singles’ semifinal but now I am a quite satisfied about our performance because Pakistan has won the regonition of Islamic countries in tennis”, Aqeel said after the match.

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