ISLAMABAD: Aqeel Khan, Pakistan’s veteran and long-serving national champion, lost to Britain’s youngster Alexis Canter in the second round of the Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan ITF Men’s Pro-circuit Futures (F-2) Tennis Tournament here at the PTF Complex on Wednesday.

Sixth seed Canter, 20, comfortably subdued 38-year-old Aqeel 6-2, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Aqeel could not win in the men’s doubles too as the Russian-German pair of Anton Chekhov and Kia Wehnelt outclassed the Pakistani and his Chinese Taipei partner Ray Ho 6-4, 6-2.

It is relevant to mention here that Aqeel in the recently-concluded ITF Futures (I), had failed to advance beyond the main round in the main round where was beaten by third seed Ti Chen of Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, another Pakistani Yousuf Khalil was defeated by Italy’s Lorenzo Bocchi 6-1, 6-2.

Like ITF Futures (2), a national ranking Begum Kulsum Saifullah tournament is also being staged at the PTF Complex for U-18 and ladies singles categories.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: 1-Cheong-Eui KIM (KOR) bt Ray HO (TPE) 6-2, 6-3; 6-Alexis CANTER (GBR) bt Aqeel Khan (PAK) 6-2, 6-4; 3-Sora Fukuda (JPN) bt Anton Chekhov (RUS) 6-1, 6-0; Darko Jandric (SRB) bt 8-Niklas Johansson (SWE) 6-1, 7-6(5); 5-Lorenzo Bocchi (ITA) bt Yousuf Khalil (PAK) 6-1, 6-2; 4-Kai Wehnelt (GER) bt Worovin Kumthonkittikul (THA) 6-3, 6-2; 7-Hamidreza Nadaf (IRN) bt Dmitry Myagkov (RUS) 6-2, 6-2; 2-Rio Noguchi (JPN) bt Saida’lo Saidkarimov (UZB) 6-2, 6-3

Men’s doubles:

First round: Ahmed Choudhry (PAK)/Niklas Johansson (SWE) bt Shahzad Khan (PAK)/Syed Zohair Raza (PAK) 6-0, 6-2; Joe Cooper (GBR)/Matt SEEBERGER (US) bt Chandril Sood (IND)/Lakshit SOOD (IND) 4-6, 7-6(4) [13-11]; Mohammad Abid Ali Khan Akbar (PAK)/Shamael Chaudhry (GBR) bt 2-Alexander Pavlioutchenkov (RUS)/Vladimir Polyakov (RUS) 6-4, 6-1; 3-Darko Jandric (SRB)/Cheong-Eui Kim (KOR) bt Heera Ashiq (PAK)/Malik Abdul Rehman (PAK) 6-2, 6-3; 4-Sora Fukuda (JPN)/Rio Noguchi (JPN) bt Mudassir Murtaza (PAK)/Muzammil Murtaza (PAK) 6-0, 7-5; Mohammad Abid (PAK)/Waqas Malik (CAN) bt Lorenzo Bocchi (ITA)/Alexis Canter (GBR) 7-6(5), 3-6 [10-7]; 1-Anton Chekhov (RUS)/Kai Wehnelt (GER) bt Aqeel Khan (PAK)/Ray Ho (TPE) 6-4, 6-2

U-18 boys singles:

Second round: Mohammad Shoaib bt Kashan Umar 6-0, 6-0; Osama Khan bt Azan Sajid 6-0, 6-0; Hasam Khan bt Ahmed Kamil — walkover; Musa Chaudhry bt Azan Shahid 7-5, 6-3; Ahmed Asjad bt Kamran Khan 6-1, 6-1; Sami Zeb bt Abdul Hanan 6-3, 6-3; Subhan bin Salik bt Nauman Aftab 6-4, 6-3; Rayan Jawad bt Mohammad Hamza Asim — walkover

U-14 boys singles:

Second round: Talha Khan bt Hamza Jawad 6-2, 6-1; Huzaima Abdul Rehman bt Ahmed Nael 6-1, 6-0; Uzair Khan bt Azan Sajid 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; Huzaifa Khan bt Abdul Basit 6-0,6-0; Sami Zeb bt Hamza Asim 6-2, 6-1; Hamza Roman bt Ali Zain 6-3, 6-2

Ladies singles:

First round: Sara Mansoor bt Adela Miron 6-0, 6-0; Ushna Suhail bt Shahida Farooq 6-0, 6-0; Khunsha Baber bt Esha Jawad 7-6, 6-1; Hania Naved bt Mahnoor Suhail 6-0, 6-0; Sarah Mahboob bt Mahvish Chishite 6-0, 6-1; Meheq Khokhar bt Zainab Ali Raja 6-0, 6-1; Sheeza Sajid bt Fatima Ali Raja 6-0, 6-1; Shimza Naz bt Mahrukh — walkover.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2018