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| January 1, 2006 | Sunday | Ziqa’ad 29, 1426 |
Aqeel too classy for hapless Wasif
ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: Top seed Aqeel Khan walloped Wasif Cheema in a one-sided final of the second Quaid-i-Azam Islamabad Open tennis championship on Saturday to win the men’s singles crown.
The Islamabad Tennis Complex was the venue where a struggling Wasif was handed a 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 defeat in fading light on the clay courts of the capital’s newest tennis centre.
The conditions were gloomy, a chilly evening with thick clouds hovering above. But all that in way no way seemed to bother Aqeel who proved just too good for his fourth seeded opponent.
Aqeel made his intentions clear at the outset as he began firing on all cylinders that put Wasif firmly on the back foot.
So aggressive was Aqeel that he forced Wasif to play short balls which he was able to kill with consummate ease.
Pakistan’s saviour in several Davis Cup matches in recent years, Aqeel’s heavy top spin and full length strokes left Wasif clueless.
Aqeel made him run all over the place unleashing an array of strokes in his arsenal and it was not long before the match ended.
Prizes were given away by Air Marshal (Retd) Shahid Hamid who helped establish the complex which former players say will soon become the hub of tennis in Pakistan.
With five clay courts available and plans afoot to add another two, tournament director Inamul Haq said that the venue would one day be staging Davis Cup ties.
The weeklong tournament was the first event to be organised at the complex. It featured seven events with the boys’ under-17 title going to Noumanul Haq and under-15 honours being taken by Syed Zain Abbas.
Jibranul Haq was the champion in the under-13s category and the ladies singles title was bagged by Sara Mansoor. Mahmood Khan and Jahanzeb Khan were the doubles winners while the pair of Ghulam Rasool and Musa Khan took the seniors crown.
Chief of umpires, Fazle Subhan said that out of the seven events contested, five winners were from the Islamabad Tennis Complex.
The organisers also adjudged former Davis Cup player Mushaf K. Zia as the Coach-of-the-Year.
He told Dawn that it was great honour for him to have received the award. “I’ll continue to serve the younger generation for they are our future.”
Result: Men’s singles final: Aqeel Khan bt Wasif Cheema 6-0, 6-1, 6-0.
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