December 16, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 5, 1428

KARACHI, Dec 15: The reigning national U-16 champion, Monisha Kotia of Sindh, was among the four who cruised into the last eight of the All Pakistan Women’s Badminton Championship at the Karachi Club courts on Saturday.

Promising Monisha who crowned the national U-16 title at Faisalabad earlier this year, lived up to her billing when she whipped Punjab’s Razia 21-7, 21-15.

She is drawn to meet Wapda’s fourth seed Shahnaz Shah in the quarter-finals on Sunday. The latter along with the top three seeds were directly placed in the last eight.

Those who joined her in the quarter-finals were Anila and Sumaira from Railways and Faryal from Punjab.

Anila who accounted for local player Mehwish 21-7, 21-8 faces the top seed and reigning national champion Ayesha Ikram while her teammate Sumaira inflicted a 21-15, 21-5 defeat on Sindh’s Zainab. She is slated to meet Palwasha.

Punjab’s Faryal who chalked up a 21-13, 21-11 victory over Mahiya Moin of Sindh meets Sara Momand.

The quarter-finals will be played on Sunday at 2.00pm, followed by the semi-finals.

The final will be staged on Monday.

The doubles matches will commence Sunday morning.

Results:

First round: Rabia (Pjb) bt Arfa (Sindh) 21-8, 21-10; Anila (Rlys) bt Fozia (Pjb) 21-11, 21-15; Sharon (Sindh) bt Sumaira (Sindh) 21-10, 21-9; Sobia (Pjb) bt Roshal (Sindh) 21-2, 21-1; Monisha Kotia (Sindh) bt Yasmeen (Rlys) 21-19, 16-21, 21-9; Amna (Pjb) bt Saima (Sindh) 21-8, 21-10; Komal (Sindh) bt Sana (Pjb) 21-10, 21-11; Zainab (Sindh) bt Kausar (Pjb) 21-9, 21-4; Safia (Sindh) bt Verda (Sindh)21-5, 21-10; Sumaira (Sindh) bt Talat (Pjb) 21-10, 21-8; Mahira (Pjb) bt Fizza (Sindh) 21-18, 21-13; Faryal (Pjb) bt Sobia (Sindh) 21-4, 21-9; Jumana (Sindh) w/o (Afshan (Pjb); Mahiya (Sindh) bt Humaira (Rlys) 21-12, 22-21.

Second round: Anila (Rlys) bt Razia (Pjb) 21-4, 21-8; Mehwish (Sindh) bt Sharon (Sindh) 21-15, 21-4; Monisha Kotia (Sindh) bt Sobia (Pjb) 21-10, 21-10; Razia (Pjb) bt Amna (Pjb) 21-23, 21-15, 21-16; Zainab (Sindh) bt Komal (Sindh) 21-4, 21-3; Sumaira (Rlys) bt Sofia (Sindh) 21-5, 21-5; Faryal (Pjb) bt Mahira (Pjb) 21-3, 21-4; Mahiya Moin (Sindh) bt Jumana (Sindh) 21-11, 21-12.

Pre quarter-finals: Anila (Rlys) bt Mehwish (Sindh) 21-7, 21-8; Monisha Kotia (Sindh) bt Razia (Pjb) 21-7, 21-15; Sumaira (Rlys) bt Zainab (Sindh) 21-15, 21-5; Faryal (Pjb) bt Mahiya Moin (Sindh) 21-13, 21-11.

Sunday’s fixtures:

(Quarter-finals): Monisha Kotia (Sindh) v Shahnaz Shah (Wapda); Anila (Rlys) v Ayesha Ikram (NBP); Sumaira (Rlys) v Palwasha Bashir (NBP); Faryal (Pjb) v Sara Momand (NBP) at 2.00pm.