KARACHI, Dec 21: Third seed Sana Bhagat breezed through to the semifinal of the Eighth Salma Noorani tennis championship, when she beat Haiman Varsi 6-1 6-0 at Karachi Club on Sunday.

A week earlier Sana accounted for Haiman in three gruelling sets in the Subah-e-Nau National Hardcourt championship played at the Karachi Gymkhana, but on Sunday, excelling with her forehand drives and backhand drops, she won with absolute ease.

Sana will now meet unseeded Ameena Hameed, who created quite a stir a week ago by reaching the ladies singles final of the National Hardcourt final.

Top seed Maryam Raheem will take on the fourth seed Zohra Omer in the other semifinal. Maryam accounted for Shaila Nazoo 6-0, 6-1 and Zohra Omar after dropping the first set 4-6, got her act together and playing attacking tennis bagged the next two sets and the match 6-1, 6-2.

In the men’s doubles, the top seeds Aqeel Khan and the non- playing captain of the Pakistan Davis Cup Rashid Malik, proved too good for Nomi Qamar and Mehmood Khan 6-3, 6-2.

In the most exciting match of the evening Khalid Ali fought his way into the semifinals by beating Adnan Khan 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, while second seed Nomi Qamar had little difficulty in disposing of Inam Gul 6-1, 6-2.

In the boys singles event, Ibrahim Omer beat Amir Darvesh 4-1, 4-2 and Daniyal Alvi defeated S.M. Naeem.

In the under-14 tournament all the top eight seeds were sent to have their wrist tests but two players from Lahore Umer Babar and Tanveer Muneer refused to take the test.

The tournament committee had no alternative but scratch out their names from the tournament.

Results:

Men’s singles (quarterfinals) Khalid Ali Nazoo bt Adnan Khan 4-6, 7-5, 7-6.

Semifinals: Nomi Qamar bt Inam Gul 6-1, 6-2.

Men’s doubles (semifinals): Aqeel Khan/Rashid Malik bt Nomi Qamar/Mahmood Khan 6-3, 6-2.

Boy’s singles (quarterfinals): Ibrahim Omar bt Amir Darvesh 4-1, 4-2. Daniyal Alvi bt S.M.Naeem 4-0, 4-2.

Ladies singles (quarterfinals) : Sana Bhagat bt Haiman Varsi 6-1, 6-0. Ameena Hameed bt Nida Raheem 6-2, 6-1. Zohra Omar bt Ghazala Yasmin 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Maryam Raheem bt Shahla Nazoo 6-0, 6-1.

Monday fixtures:

Men’s singles (semifinals) Aqeel Khan v Khalid Ali Nazoo.

Ladies singles (semifinals) Sana Bhagat v Ameena Hameed. Maryam Raheem v Zohra Omar at 3-30 p.m.