LAHORE: Veteran and top seed Aqeel Khan faces Muzammil Murtaza in the men’s singles final of the fourth Sheheryar Malik Memorial National Grass­court Tennis Championship after winning their respective semi-finals here at the Punjab Tennis Academy, Bagh-e-Jinnah on Friday.

Twenty matches in different categories were played on Friday, the sixth day of the championship.

Maintaining his winning spree, the 40-year-old Aqeel disposed of the challenge from a seasoned rival Mohammad Abid to win the semi-final 7-6 (7), 6-2. The 26-year-old Abid after giving good exhibition in the first set with forehand shots, conceded the second set without any significant resistance, and with it the match.

In the other semi-final, Muzammil had to struggle to overcome the challenge from his brother Mudassir in a three-set battle which the former finally won 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Though in the beginning, Muzammil faltered as Mudassir adopted an aggressive playing mode, the story was quite different later in the match as Muzammil comfortably won the two sets to make the final in which Aqeel looks a hot favourite.

Meanwhile, top seed Sarah Mehboob and Ushna Sohail cruised into the ladies’ singles final after registering easy victories.

Sarah ousted Esha Javed 6-0, 6-4 while Ushna outplayed Noor Malik 6-1, 6-2.

Results :

Men’s singles (semi-finals): Aqeel Khan bt Mohammad Abid 7-6, 6-2; Muzammil Murtaza bt Mudassir Murtaza 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

Ladies’ singles (semi-finals): Sarah Mehboob bt Esha Jawad 6-0, 6-4; Ushna Sohail bt Noor Malik 6-1, 6-2

Ladies’ doubles (semi-finals): Sarah Mehboob/Noor Malik bt Mariam Mirza/Sheeza Sajid 6-2, 6-1; Esha Jawad/Hania Navaid bt Zahra Suleiman/Maleeha Khalid 6-2, 3-6, 10-3

Ladies doubles (final): Sarah Mehboob/Noor Malik bt Esha Jawad/Haniya Naveed 6-2, 6-1

Senior 35-plus doubles (final): Rashid Malik/Aqeel Khan bt Talha Waheed/Usama Waheed 6-1, 6-3

Boys’ U-18 (semi-finals): Mohammad Shoaib bt Aqib Hayat 6-2, 6-0’ Semi Zeb bt Hasheesh Kumar 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Boys’ U-12 (semi-finals): Husnain Ali Rizwan bt Hamza Roman 4-2, 4-1; Ahtesham Humayun bt Haniya Minhas 4-2, 5-3

Boys’ U-10 (semi-finals): Hamza Ali Rizwan bt Omer Jawad 4-2, 1-4, 10-5; Zohaib Afzal Malik bt Ismail Aftab 5-4,4-2.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2020