May 11, 2005	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KARACHI, May 10: Salman Aslam beat 13-year-old Mohammad Abbas Arif in a four and a half hour marathon to qualify for a berth in the main round of the boys under-17 event played on Tuesday at Karachi Club. Salman, who had earlier disposed of M. Emmad 6-2, 6-3, in the morning session, found Abbas a much stronger competitor as he struggled to win the first set in a tie breaker. Abbas getting back into his strides, played some lovely cross court shots from the baseline and was back on even keel, winning the next set 6-2.

In the final set played under floodlights with service changing over several times, Salman was ahead 5-4 when the lights turned off due to power breakdown. After waiting for about 25 minutes in total darkness, the power finally restored and Salman with service in hand soon ended the ordeal, winning the final set 6-4.

Fourteen-year-old Ghulam Hussain Panju bowed out to No.2 seed Khurram Nazir. Coming through after a keen tussle in the first set, Khurram and Ghulam were locked in a see-saw battle in the second, before Khurram finally qualified for the main rounds in a tie-breaker 7-6. Earlier in the morning session, Ghulam accounted for S.M. Naeem 6-1, 6-4, while Salman beat M. Emmad 6-2, 6-3. In another encounter, Asif Fareed beat Irfan Kakar 7-5, 6-2.

In the boys under-17 main draw, Tanvir Ashiq was just too good for Waqas Malik 6-1, 6-1 and fifteen-year-old Nasir Mushtaq, improving by leaps and bounds, brushed aside Abdul Rehman 6-0, 6-2.

In the men’s singles qualifying round, Robin Das had to struggle hard to beat Abbas Raza 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.

But Saqib Hussain had an easy 6-1, 6-0 round against Kashif Pirozani. The same can be said about Gul Hamid, a 6-0, 6-1 victor over Rashid Farid and Suleman Aslam who breezed past Milan Tahir 6-1, 6-2.

Arif Raja, winning the second set after losing the opener to Rizwan Shamsi was forced to retire with cramps.

Results:

Men’s singles (qualifying rounds) Rizwan Shamsi bt Arif Raja 6-1, 3-6 (retired), Robin Das bt Abbas Raza 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. Suleman Aslam bt Milan Tahir 6-1, 6-2. Saqib Hussain bt Kashif Pirozani 6-1, 6-0. Gul Hamid bt Rashid Farid 6-0, 6-1. Uzair Dawood w/o Ali Sheikh. Sajid Hussain w/o Sarfaraz Rana.

Boy’s Under-17 (qualifying rounds) Ghulam Abbas Panju bt S.M. Naseem 6-1, 6-4. Asif Fareed bt Irfan Kakar 7-5, 6-2. Salman Aslam (Lahore) bt M. Emmad 6-2, 6-3. Khurram Nazir (Lahore) beat Ghulam Abbas Panju 6-3, 7-6. Salman Aslam (Lahore) beat Mohammad Abbas Arif 7-6, 2-6, 6-4.

Boys under-17 (Main draw) Tanvir Ashiq bt Waqas Malik 6-1, 6-1. Nasir Mushtaq bt Abdul Rehman 6-0, 6-2.