ISLAMABAD: Top-ranked Aqeel Khan and Mohammad Shoaib took flying start to the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed National Ranking Championship registering straight sets victories in the men’s singles against their respective opponents here at the Islamabad Tennis Complex on Tuesday.

Aqeel outclassed Shehzad Khan 7-5, 6-4 in their men’s singles first-round match while Shoaib brushed aside Imran Bhatti 6-1, 6-4 in another clash of the same category on the opening day of the championship.

Matches in other categories, including boys U-14 and U-18, were also played on the first day of the event.

Results (first round):

Men’s singles: Hamza Asim bt Mahatir Mohammad 6-3, 7-5; Mohammad Salar bt Saqib Hayat 6-2, 4-7, 7-5; Abdullah Adnan bt Huzaima Abdul Rehman 6-0, 6-2; Hamza Roman bt Ehtisham Himayun 6-4, 6-3; Mohammad Talha bt Uzair Khan 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Aqeel Khan bt Shehzad Khan 7-5, 6-4; Mohammad Shoaib bt Imran Bhatti 6-1, 6-4; Yousuf Khalil bt Asadullah 6-2, 6-2; Barkatullah bt Hamid Israr 6-2, 7-6(3); Mohammad Abid bt Ilham Khan 6-2, 6-0; Waqas Malik bt Hassam Khan 6-1, 2-1 (retired); Muzammil Murtaza bt Nofil Kaleem 6-1, 6-3; Mudassir Murtaza bt Faizan Fiyaz 6-1, 6-2; Hasheesh Kumar bt Mohammad Zaryab 6-2, 6-3; Sami Zeb Khan bt Jabir Ali 6-1, 6-1; Ahmed Nael bt Ahmed Baber 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

U-18 boys’ singles: Ibrahim Saqib bt Waqas Janas 6-4, 7-6(8); Muzammil Bhand bt Hassan Usmani 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Abdul Basit bt Nabeel Ali Qayum 6-4, 6-2; Bilal Asim bt Taimur Ansari 6-1, 6-0; Ali Zain bt Kashan Tariq 6-2, 2-6, 6-4; Asad Zaman bt Hamza Hussain 6-1, 6-2; Mohammad Salar bt Inam Qadir 6-3, 7-6(4); Hamza Roman bt Haziq Asim 6-1, 6-1; Uzair Khan bt Mustansir Ali Khan 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Mohammad Uzair bt Saifullah Khan 6-1, 6-2; Mahatir Mohammad bt Mohammad Yahya 6-3, 6-3; Rayan Khan bt Hashir Alam 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Hamza Asim bt Hamid Israr 6-4, 6-1; Ehtisham Himayun bt Rohab Faisal 6-1, 6-4; Humzaima Abdul Rehman bt Junaid Mehr 6-2, 6-1

U-14 boys’ singles: Hassan Usmani bt Abdul Basit 4-2, 5-4(6); Nabeel Ali Qayum bt Mohammad Shaqaab 5-3, 4-1; Zohaib Amjad bt Ansarullah 4-2, 4-1; Mohammad Arsalan bt Abdar Ali 4-1, 4-0; Muzammil Bhand bt Mohib Memon 4-0, 4-2; Razik Sultan bt Raja Taha 4-0, 4-0; Mahd Shezad bt Ayan-ul-Haq 4-1, 5-4(4); Haziq Asim bt Abdul Wasay 4-2, 4-1.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2023