ISLAMABAD: Mehmet Onur Turgut of Turkey and Pakistan’s Hasheesh Kumar toppled their seeded rivals to qualify for the boys singles quarter-final of the ITF Pakistan Elaan-Syed Dilawar Abbas Memorial World Junior Tennis Championships here at the PTF Complex on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old qualifier Turgut simply did not allow Russian second seed Nikita Safonov to settle while brushing him aside 6-4, 6-0 in the second round to make the last-eight stage. Hasheesh, 18, ousted fourth seed Aldiyar Abzhan of Kazakhstan 6-1, 6-2.

In the girls’ event, unseeded Taira Abildayeva of Kazakhstan overcame third seed Tamara Ermakova of Russia 6-3, 2-0 as the latter retired due to an ankle sprain. Eunsoo Lee of Korea, another unseeded player, defeated fourth seed Olga Sorochkina of Russia 6-3, 7-6(1).

In the boys’ doubles first round, unseeded Pakistan pair of Semi Zeb Khan and Hasheesh dominated against the second seed duo of Abzhan and Safonov 4-6, 6-2, 10-1.

Results:

Boys singles (second round):

Ivan Iutkin (Russia) bt Liviu Popirlan (Romania) 6-0, 6-1; Aril Kayra Tuna (Turkey) bt Muhammad Huzaifa Khan (Pakistan) 6-1, 6-2; Bilal Asim (Pakistan) bt Nikita Bortnichek (Russia) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; Hasheesh Kumar (Pakistan) bt Aldiyar Abzhan (Kazakhstan) 6-1, 6-2; Dev Kanbarhimatch (Romania) bt Ahmad Nael Qureshi (Pakistan) 6-1, 6-2; Hamid Israr Gul (Pakistan) bt Adilbek Myrzaguzhin (Kazaskhstan) 6-1, 6-2; Mehmet Onur Turgut (Turkey) bt Nikita Safonov (Russia) 6-4, 6-0; Ruslan Serazhetdinow (Russia) bt Mars Argun (Turkey) 6-2, 6-2.

Girls singles (first round): Yeon Joo Cha (Korea) bt Avrora Volkova (Russia) 6-1, 6-1; Andra Izabella Sirbu (Romania) bt Aleksandra Bortnichek (Russia) 6-0, 6-1; Taira Abildayeva (Kazakhstan) bt Tamara Ermakova (Russia) 6-3, 2-0 — retired; Sa Rang Lim (Korea) bt Munisa Ashurbekova (Uzbekistan) 6-2, 6-0; Seo Hyeon Park (Korea) bt Natalia Zaman (Pakistan) 6-0, 6-0; Eunsoo Lee (Korea) bt Olga Sorochkina (Russia) 6-4, 7-6(1); Melisa Ugur (Turkey) bt Renata Garaeva (Russia) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1; Tatyana Chsherbakova bt Sheeza Sajid (Pakistan) 6-1, 6-0.

Boys doubles (first round): Mohammad Talha Khan (Pakistan)/Mohammad Huzaifa Khan (Pakistan) bt Adilbek Myrzaguzhin (Kazakhstan)/Huzamia Abdul Rehman (Pakistan) 6-7(5), 6-4, 10-8; Bilal Asim (Pakistan)/Ahmad Nael Qurehsi (Pakistan) bt Mars Argun (Turkey)/Mohammad Zaryab Khan (Pakistan) 6-3, 3-6, 10-5; Shehryaar Anees (Pakistan)/Asad Zaman (Pakistan) bt Zein Ionescu (Canada)/Muaz Malik (US) 6-3, 6-2; Ivan Iutkin (Russia)/Ruslan Serazhetdinov (Russia) bt Hamid Israr Gul (Pakistan)/Maciej Zarebski (Poland) 6-2, 6-0; Sami Zeb Khan (Pakistan)/Haseesh Kumar (Pakistan) bt Aldiyar Abzhan (Kazakhstan)/Nikita Safonov (Russia) 4-6, 6-2, 10-1; Abdul Hanan (Pakistan)/Liviu Popirlan (Romania) bt Evaan Lithra (India)/Ibrahim Sohail (Pakistan) 6-0, 6-1.

Girls doubles (first round): Taira Abildayeva (Kazakhstan)/Tatyana Chsherbakova (Kazakhstan) bt Geetangali Angati (India)/Elina Mukhamadeeva (Russia) 6-0, 6-1.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2022