ISLAMABAD, May 5: Top seed Aqeel Khan advanced to the quarterfinals of the National Clay Court Tennis Championship on Thursday with an easy knockout of Shahid Afridi at the Islamabad Club. Aqeel, who co-starred with Aisamul Haq in Pakistan’s recent Islamic Games campaign, strolled to a 6-1, 6-1 victory to set up a clash in the last eight with Peshawar’s Inam Gul.
Also checking into the quarterfinals were second seed Nomi Qamar, No 3 Asim Shafik, Jalil Khan, Shahzad Khan, Mehmood Khan and Muhammad Shafik. Nomi didn’t have to sweat in a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Raja Taimur, while Asim blanked Fahad Ali 6-0, 6-0.
Jalil, younger brother of ace Aqeel dropped a set against Shahid Khan but recovered to score a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
Veteran Hameedul Haq became a victim of young Shahzad who eliminated him 6-4, 6-4, while another aging player Rasheed Malik also fell by the wayside, Inam Gul handing him a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat.
Results (Men’s singles first round):
Hameedul Haq bt Ikramul Haq 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Men’s singles pre-quarterfinals:
Aqeel Khan bt Shahid Afridi 6-1, 6-1, Inam Gul bt Rashid Malik 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, Jalil Khan bt Shahid Khan 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, Muhammad Shafik bt Muneer Ashiq 7-5, 6-4, Mehmood Khan bt Tanveer Muneer 6-2, 6-2, Asim Shafiq bt Fahad Ali 6-0, 6-0, Shahzad Khan bt Hameedul Haq 6-4, 6-4, Nomi Qamar bt Raja Taimur 6-1, 6-1.
Men’s doubles pre-quarterfinals:
M. Shafiq-Nomi Qamar w/o Raja Taimur-Ali Sheikh, Shahrukh Niazi-Muneer Ashiq bt Jahanzeb Khan-Usman Bangash 6-4, 6-4, Ikramul Haq-Pervez Khan bt Noman Yahya-Col Shahid 6-4, 6-0.
Junior under-17 singles pre-quarterfinals:
Salman Aslam bt Hamza Zulfiqar 7-5, 6-3, Fahad Ali w/o M. Waqas Ali.
Junior under-17 singles quarterfinals: Tabish Raza bt Ali Sheikh 6-0, 6-1, Nomanul Haq bt Salman Aslam 6-0, 6-2, Abdi Ali bt Fahad Ali 6-3, 7-5, 6-2, Khurrum Nazeer bt Yousaf Ajam 6-1, 6-0.
Boys under-13 singles quarterfinals:
Ahmed Chaudhry bt Zahid Ajam 4-2, 4-1, Gibranul Haq bt Farhan Shahid 4-0, 4-0, Malik Abdur Rehman bt Yousaf Ajam 4-1, 5-4, Sadanul Haq bt Bilal Qasmi 4-1, 4-1.