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| May 20, 2005 | Friday | Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1426 |
Imran and Kaleem in finals
KARACHI, May 19: Unseeded Imran Ahmed and Kaleem Ghanchi created quite a stir in the Executive Tennis hard court championship, reaching the men’s singles final after disposing off the top seeds Rashid Malik and Raja Asif in three gruelling sets under floodlights at the Karachi Gymkhana. After winning the first set 6-4, Imran and Kaleem surrendered the second with Rasheed stealing the show to equalise the set scores 1-1. But Imran and Kaleem growing with confidence in the vital third set, put the final nail in the coffin by winning the deciding set 6-4 and were cheered by the spectators to the echo, in a match played late into the night.
Imran and Kaleem will now take on the second seeds Hameed ul Haq and Mohammad Khalil, who made their earlier triumphant entry into the final, ending the fighting combination of the Multan pair of Major Zia and Laeeq Pirzada 6-2, 6-3.
Earlier in the quarterfinal round Imran and Kaleem upset the third seeds Brig Tariq Sadozai and former Davis Cup captain Inam ul Haq 6-3, 6-4.
In a gruelling match in which both pairs refused to budge an inch, Imran and Kaleem took the first set 6-3 which lasted one hour and 20 minutes. The second set was also filled with its fair share of thrills and spills with Tariq and Inam trying desperately to hard stem the tide.
But Inam drenched in sweat made a fatal error and Imran and Kaleem pouncing down like a pair of marauding hawks, picked up the second set and match 6-4.
Major Zia and Laeeq Pirzada also fought their way through to the semifinals by beating Jamil Ahmed and Khawja Masroor 7-5, 6-2. In the second Zia and Laeeq now moving around the court in a much more brisk manner, grabbed the second set and match 6-2.
In another quarterfinal engagement, second seeds Hameedul Haq and M. Khalid had little difficulty in disposing of Anis ur Rehman and Haji Younus Dada 6-1, 6-1.
Following were the results:
Executive singles (quarterfinals) Inamul Haq (Islamabad) w/o Major Zia. Executive doubles (quarterfinals) Imran Ahmed and Kaleem Ganchi bt Brig Tariq Sadozai and Inam ul Haq 6-3, 6-4. Major Zia and Laeeq Pirzada (Multan) bt Jamil Ahmed (Islamaad) and Khawja Masroor 7-5, 6-2. Hameed ul Haq (Islamabad) and Mohammad Khalid (Lahore) beat Anis ur Rehman and Haji Younus Dada (Karachi Gymkhana) 6-1, 6-1. Executive doubles (semifinals) Hameed ul Haq (Islamabad) and Mohammad Khalid (Lahore) beat Major Zia and Laeeq Pirzada (Multan) 6-2, 6-3. Imran Ahmed and Kaleem Ganchi beat Rasheed Malik (Lahore) and Raja Asif 6-4, 5-7.
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