ISLAMABAD: Promising youngster Mohammad Shoaib eased past Talha Khan in the men’s singles opening-round match of the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed National Tennis Championship here at the Islamabad Tennis Club on Tuesday.

Shoaib, who recently caused a major upset by toppling veteran Aqeel Khan in the Federal Cup final, did not face any resistance in recording a facile 6-0, 6-2 victory.

Meanwhile, the 41-year-old Aqeel comfortably overcame Faizan Fayyaz 6-0, 6-1 in their first-round clash.

Hasheesh Kumar also showed his brilliance against Hamza Asim winning the match 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-0.

More than 50 matches were played on the opening day of main draw which included men’s singles, women’s singles, boys U-14, boys and girls U-12 and U-10 events.

Results (first round):

Men’s singles: M. Shoaib bt M. Talha Khan 6-0, 6-2; Barkatullah bt Parbhat Kumar 6-2, 7-6(4); Yousuf Khalil bt Ahmad Asjad 6-2, 6-1; Muzammil Murtaza bt Israr Gul 6-0,6-1; Mudassir Murtaza bt M. Huzaifa Khan 6-1, 6-1; Hamid Israr bt Ilham Khan 6-7(0), 6-3, 6-4; Hasheesh Kumar bt M. Hamza Aasim 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-0; Aqeel Khan bt Faizan Fayyaz 6-0, 6-1; Shahzad khan bt Ahmed Kamil 6-2, 6-1; Sami Zeb Khan bt Nofil Kaleem 6-2, 6-1; Heera Ashiq bt Waqas Malik 6-2, 6-1

Women’s singles: Kainat Ali bt Amara Khan 6-1, 6-1; Oreenjasia bt Maryam Fazal 6-0, 6-0; Syeda Eraj Batool bt Mahnoor Sohail 6-2, 6-1; Asifa Shahbaz bt Azeena Aleem 6-2, 6-4; Zahra Suleman bt Marium Shahid 6-0, 6-1; Saher Aleem bt Sunila 6-0, 6-0

Boys U-18 singles: Shaeel Durab bt M. Talha Khan 6-1, 6-2; Kamran Khan bt Azan Sajid 6-1, 6-0; M. Zaryab Khan bt Raza Ghaus 3-0 --retired; Asad Zaman bt Umer Masood 6-1, 6-1; Nalain Abbas bt Hasan Ali 6-4, 6-4; Farman Shakeel bt M. Ahtasham 6-3, 6-0; Uzair Khan bt Faizan Fayyaz 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; M. Salaar bt Inam Qadir 6-0, 6-0; M. Hamza Asim bt M. Abdullah 6-1, 6-0; Ahtesham Humayun bt Huzaima A. Rehman 6-2, 7-5; M. Talha Khan bt Sami Zeb Khan 6-7(0), 6-3, 6-2

Boys U-14 singles: Nabeel Ali Qayum bt Rayan Khan 4-1, 4-0; Zohaib Aafzal bt M. Talha Khan 5-3 4-2; Mohammad Junaid bt Ihsanullah 4-2, 4-0; S. Hamza Hussain bt Safiullah 4-0, 4-0; M. Salaar bt Abdul Basit 4-1, 4-2

B/G U-12 singles: Samer Zaman bt Arsalan Khan 4-0,4-1; Shayan Afridi bt Saqib Ali 4-0,4-0; Razik Sultan bt Sameer Maqsood 4-0,4-1; M. Haziq Aasim bt Lalarukh Sajid 4-0, 4-1; Abdul Basit bt Mahd Mehmood 4-1, 4-0; M. Ayaan Sherdil bt Awais Ali 5-3, 4-1

Boys/girls U-10 singles: Anis Khan bt Arshman Maqsood 4-0, 4-0; Abdul Wasay bt Qasim-ul-Khair 4-1, 4-0; Amir Masood bt Wishal Arshad 4-1, 4-0; Arsalan Khan bt Fatima Maqsood 4-0, 4-0.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2021