ISLAMABAD: Top seed Aqeel Khan in a brilliant show overcame Saqib Hayat without conceding a single point and moved into the quarter-final of the J7- Federal Cup here at the PTF Complex on Wednesday.

Looking in excellent touch, the top-ranked veteran simply crushed Saqib 6-0, 6-0.

Besides Aqeel, Barkatullah, Heera Ashiq, Yousuf Khalil, Mudassir Murtaza, Mohammad Shoaib, Hasheesh Kumar and Mohammad Abid also moved into the quarter-finals after winning their respective matches.

Earlier, second seed Abid and third seed Shoaib won their matches in straight sets. Useeded Hasheesh caused a major upset in the tournament when he eliminated seventh seed Ahmed Chaudhry 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

Ahmed led 5-2 in the final set and was serving for the match but Hasheesh fought back to first make it 5-5 all by breaking eighth and 10th game and won the set and with it the match. He faces Abid in the quarter-final.

In the women’s section, Sarah Mehboob, Ushna Suhail, Noor Malik, Esha Jawad, Haniya Navaid, Meheq Khokhar, Kainat Ali and Sheeza Sajid qualified for the quarter-finals by winning their respective matches.

Kainat shocked seventh seed Mariam Mirza 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in an exciting match.

Results:

Men’s singles (pre-quarterfinals): Aqeel Khan bt Saqib Hayat 6-0, 6-0; Barkatullah bt Ibrahim Umer -- walkover; Heera Ashiq bt Nalain Abbas 6-0, 6-3; Yousuf Khalil bt Mahatir Mohammad 6-1, 6-0; Mudassir Murtaza bt Talha Bin Asif 6-2, 7-6(6); Mohammad Shoaib bt Ahmed Asjad Qureshi 6-2, 6-3; Hasheesh Kumar bt Ahmed Chaudhry 5-7, 6-4, 7-5; Mohammad Abid bt Ahmed Babar 6-4, 6-1

Women’s singles (pre-quarterfinals): Noor Malik bt Amara Khan 6-1, 6-0; Ushna Suhail bt Seher Aleem 6-0, 6-1; Meheq Khokhar bt Asfa Shahbaz -- walkover; Sheeza Sajid bt Azeen Aleem 6-1, 6-2; Haniya Navaid bt Mehvish Chishtie -- walkover; Esha Jawad bt Nida Akram -- walkover; Kainat Ali bt Mariam Mirza 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; Sarah Mehboob bt Rahat Javid -- walkover

Men’s doubles (first round): Sami Zeb Khan/Ahmed Nael Qureshi bt Israr Gul/Aqib Hayat 6-2, 6-3; Shahzad Khan/Mohammad Usman Ejaz bt Abdul Hanan Khan/Faizan Fayyaz 6-4, 6-0; Yousuf Khalil/Heera Ashiq bt Mahatir Mohammad/Kamran Khan 6-3, 6-2; Asadullah/Ejaz Ahmed bt Hasheesh Kumar/Nalain Abbas 6-0, 6-3; Ahmed Kamil/Asjad Qureshi bt Abbas Khan/Saqib Hayat 6-3, 6-2

Men’s doubles (quarter-finals): Aqeel Khan/Nofil Kaleem bt Sami Zeb Khan/Ahmed Nael Qureshi 6-1, 6-3; Barkatullah/Mohammad Shoaib bt Asadullah/Ejaz Ahmad 7-5, 6-2; Heera Ashiq/Yousuf Khalil bt Shahzad Khan/Mohammad Usman Ejaz 7-6(6), 6-2.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2021