July 30, 2006	Sunday	Rajab 3, 1427

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KARACHI, July 29: Top seed Sara Mehboob displayed a magnificent range of strokes here on Saturday to beat unseeded Sana Bhagat in the final of the Arif Habib Tennis Championship at Karachi Club on Saturday.

Sara, 15, retained ladies singles crown with an effortless 6-2, 6-2 win that earned her a winning purse of Rs 15,000. Sana gets runners up prize money of Rs 8,000.

This was the eighth national ladies ranking title bagged by Sara in a short span of about one-year.

“I’m happy for successfully defending my crown,” a jubilant Sara said after the match.

The top seeded pair of Yasir Khan-Abid Ali came from the jaws of defeat to turn the table on Fahad Ali-Ahmed Aslam in three sets to land juniors doubles title.

The pair was home 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 in three hours, 10 minute encounter. The triumph earned 17-year-old Yasir a double crown as he had pocketed juniors U-17 singles the other day.

The boys U-13 singles title went to Syed Zuhair Raza who got the better of Mustafa Zaidi 6-2, 6-1 in the final.

Jalil Khan, the fourth seed, brushed aside second seed Asim Shafik 6-4, 6-1 to set a date with elder brother Aqeel in the men’s singles final on Sunday. The latter got a walkover in pre-final as his opponent Nomi Qamar was injured in a road accident on Friday.

This will be second time in four months that two brothers are pitted against each other in a ranking tournament. Aqeel had beaten Jalil 6-1, 6-4 in semifinal of National hard court tennis championship at Karachi Gymkhana on March 4.

Results:

Ladies singles (final): Sara Mehboob bt Sana Bhagat 6-2, 6-2; boys U-13 singles (final): Syed Zuhair Raza bt Mustafa Zaidi 6-2, 6-1; juniors U-17 doubles (final): Yasir Khan-Abid Ali bt Fahad Ali-Ahmed Aslam 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2; men’s singles (semifinals): Aqeel Khan w/o Nomi Qamar, Jail Khan bt Asim Shafik 6-4, 6-1.

Sunday’s fixtures: Men’s singles (final): Aqeel Khan v Jalil Khan 4.00pm.