ISLAMABAD: Unseeded Iustin Belea of Romania caused a major upset on the opening day of the Syed Dilawar Abbas Memorial ITF Pakistan Junior Tennis Championship when he defeated sixth seed Zalan Khan of Pakistan here at the PTF Tennis Complex on Monday.

Belea, 16, outclassed Zalan 6-0 in the first set of their boys singles match. In the second set, Zalan offered some resistance but that was too little too late as the Romanian teenager grabbed the set 6-4 and with it the match to qualify for the second round.

All seeded players reached the second round of boys singles by beating their respective rivals. Pakistan’s Mohammad Shoaib, the winner of the previous ITF tournament held at the same venue, and Ahmed Kamil got byes. They will be seen in action in the next round.

Meanwhile in the girls singles, unseeded Turkey’s Leyla Nilufer Elmas shocked fourth seed Abhilasha Bista of Nepal 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-0.

Players from Greece, Hong Kong, Austria, Russia, Tur­key, Chinese Taipei, Great Britain, Romania, Nepal, China, Iran, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, US, Malaysia , Korea, Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan are featuring in the championship.

Results:

Boys singles (first round): Raahim Agha (Great Britain) bt Mert Dogan (Turkey) 6-4, 6-4; Tune Nergizoglu (Turkey) bt Huzaima Abdul Rehman (Pakistan) 7-6(5), 6-0; Iustin Belea (Romania) bt Zalan Khan (Pakistan) 6-0, 6-4; Kuan Chang Huan (Chinese Taipei) bt Ahmed Nael Qureshi (Pakistan) 6-2, 6-3; Birtan Duran (Turkey) bt Subhan Bin Salik (Pakistan) 6-0, 6-2; Qwyn Quittner (Australia) bt Abdullah (Pakistan) 6-1, 6-3; Curtis Hong Tseng Tan (Hong Kong) bt Araiz Malik (Pakistan) 6-1, 6-1; Emir Toglukdemir (Turkey) bt Bilal Asim (Pakistan) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2; Kerem Ozlale (Turkey) bt Chun Tang (Chinese Taipei) 6-3, 6-1; Mustafa Sancakuoglu (Turkey) bt Mohammad Huzaifa Khan (Pakistan) — walkover; Min-Hung Kao (Chinese Taipei) bt Mohammad Talha Khan (Pakistan) — walkover

Girls singles (first round): Jun Seo Lee (Korea) bt Amel Sammari (Tunisia) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4; Zhansaya Bakytzhan (Kazakhstan) bt Sie Domg Chai (Malaysia) 6-3, 6-2; Asima Sazanova (Kazakhstan) bt Zoha Asim (Pakistan) 6-3, 6-3; Amina Salibayeva (US) bt Neyara Weerawansa (Sri Lanka) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Leyla Nilufer Elmas (Turkey) bt Abhilasha Bista (Nepal) 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-0; Mina Toglukdemir (Turkey) bt Jeongmin IM (Korea) 6-0, 6-0; Dorsa Cheraghi (Iran) bt Bilur Gonlusen (Turkey) 6-4, 6-4

Boys doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Raahim Agha (Great Britain)/Stylianos Poutis (Greece) bt Birtan Duran (Turkey)/Kerem Ozlale (Turkey) 7-5, 3-6, 12-10; Kuan Chang Huang (Chinese Taipei)/Curtis Hong Tsent Tan (Hong Kong) bt Bilal Asim (Pakistan)/Ahmed Nael Qureshi (Pakistan) 6-1, 6-1; Tune Neggizoglu (Turkey)/Emir Toglukdemir (Turkey) bt Mert Dogan (Turkey)/Aryan Giri (Nepal) 6-4, 6-3; Min-Hung Kao (Chinese Taipei)/Chun Tang (Chinese Taipei) bt Abdullah (Pakistan)/Araiz Malik (Pakistan) 7-6(3), 3-6, 10-7

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2020