Romaisa’s exit seals tough day for Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s campaign in the singles event of the W-15 Islamabad Junaid Family Foundation World Tennis Women’s Championships collapsed on Wednesday after Romaisa Malik was knocked out in the first round here at the PTF Tennis Complex.

The 15-year-old local hope suffered a crushing 6-0, 6-0 defeat at the hands of Denmark’s experienced 25-year-old Elena Jamshidi.

Romaisa’s exit compounded a bleak opening week for the host nation, following a string of straight-sets defeats on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s Mehaq Khokar fell 6-1, 6-1 to Turkiye’s Serife Pelin Sari, while Hajra Sohail was swept aside 6-1, 6-0 by Russia’s Liliya Piskun. Mahin Aftab Qureshi was also eliminated, losing 6-3, 6-0 to South Korea’s Moon Jeong, while Russia’s Julia Khramtsova advanced via a walkover after Ushna Sohail pulled out.

The national players fared no better in the doubles category, failing to make amends on court.

The duo of Ushna and Mahin put up a second-set fight but ultimately succumbed 6-2, 7-5 to Moon and Japan’s Suzuna Oigawa. Meanwhile, Hajra and Romaisa were comfortably beaten 6-2, 6-1 by the combined pairing of Kei Yau Cheung of Hong Kong and Sabrina Olimjanova of Uzbekistan.

The tournament has drawn 31 players from 17 countries to the Pakistani capital, including comp­etitors from France, China, Russia, Denmark, Mexico, Uzb­ekistan, South Africa, the Nethe­rlands, South Korea, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Germ­any, Thailand, Turkiye and the Czech Republic.

Results:

Women’s singles (second round): Astrid Cirotte (France) bt Julia Khramtsova (Russia) 6-3, 6-1; Ksenia Laskutova (Russia) bt Serife Pelin Sari (Turkiye) 6-1, 6-0; Kamonwan Yodpetch (Thailand) bt Abhilasha Bista (Nepal) 6-1, 6-1; Wozuko Mdlulwa (South Africa) bt Jeong Moon (South Korea) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0; Anastasiya Kuparev (Germany) bt Liliya Piskun (Russia) 6-1, 6-0; Florentine Dekkers (Netherlands) bt Suzuna Oigawa (Japan) 7-6(7/5), 4-6, 6-1; Gloria Levinsky (Czech Republic) bt Elena Jamshidi (Denmark) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4; Ru Xi Wu (China) bt Emma Van Poppel (Netherlands) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Women’s singles (first round): Anastasiya Kuparev (Germany) bt Sabrina Olimjanova (Uzbekistan) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3; Wozuko Mdlulwa (South Africa) bt Kei Yau Cheung (Hong Kong) 6-1, 6-2; Florentine Dekkers (Netherlands) bt Sabastiani Leon (Mexico) 6-2, 7-5; Emma Van Poppel (Netherlands) bt Nissa Finnigan (South Africa) 6-0, 6-0

Women’s doubles (first round): Liliya Piskun/Sofiia Suslova (Russia) bt Abhilasha Bista (Nepal)/Varvara Rubostava (Russia) 6-3, 3-6, 10-4; Kamonwan Yodpetch (Thailand)/Ru Xi Wu (China) bt Julia Khramtsova/Ksenia Laskutova (Russia) 6-2, 6-2; Emma Van Poppel/Florentine Dekkers (Netherlands) bt Nissa Finnigan (South Africa)/Anna Simkina (Russia) 6-0,6-0.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2026

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