PESHAWAR, Dec 9: It was easy sailing for all top seeds on Tuesday in the 24th edition of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Khyber Open Tennis Championship 2003 first round matches played at PAF Officers mess courts.

Eleven matches of the first round, three matches in the Under-14 categories and four matches of Under-18 Junior events were decided.

In the first match of the men’s singles main round Jehangir Khan defeated Shahid Afridi in a tough encounter which lasted 57 minutes.

Jehangir used his baseline by keeping Shahid Afridi moving all the time in the courts with some superb winners.

Jehangir hit seven aces with Shahid’s three but the latter failed to pick some easy receptions of his opponent.

Forging ahead the pace of the game, Jehangir Khan won the first set by 6-4 before a tie at 4-4 but failed to keep the same rhythm losing the second set 2-6.

After 1-1, Jehangir kept his head cool by moving Shahid Afridi all around the court by winning the third and decisive set by 6-4 before leading with 5-1 games.

In the second thrilling match, Iqbal Khan handed a shocking defeat to Muhammad Babar in the match that lasted 49 minutes. Both Iqbal and Babar were 6-6 before winning the first set 7-5 on tie- breaker.

The second set was also decided on tie-breaker in favour of Iqbal at 7-5 (6-6).

Pakistan’s team skipper Rashid Malik trounced young Amjad Khan by 6-1 and 6-2 in a one-sided match.

Flt Lt Atif of PAF beat Saeed-ul-Haq in another one-sided encounter by 6-2,6-2. Irfan Ullah beat Wakeel Khan 6-3, 6-4, Shahzad Khan of PAF shocked Amjad by 7-5, and 6-3, Muhammad Shafiq defeated Ikram-ul-Haq in straight sets, Mehmood beat Kamran Khalid by 7-5 (6-6), 6-2, Wasif Cheema beat Ghulam Rasool of National Defence College (NDC), Islamabad by 6-1 and 6-2, Asim Shafiq beat Iqbal by 6-4 and 6-4.

In the Junior-14 categories, promising youngster and Rashid Malik’s academy player Saad Mubarrak defeated Tariq 6-2 6-2, Sajid Khan beat Iftikhar 6-0 6-2, Habib Khan beat Sana Ullah 6-1 and 6-2.

In the Junior Under-18 categories in which top seed Tanveer Ashaq took no time in defeating Bashir Ullah by 6-3 and 6-2, while second seed Omer Babar beat Muhammad Aslam by 6-2 and 6-2, third seed Tanveer Munir beat Sheheryar by 6-0 and 6-2 and Khurram Nazir shocked Arshad Khan by 6-1 and 6-0.

The men’s main round doubles and the veterans doubles will be played on Wednesday.—APP