ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s players Mohammad Shoaib and Barkatullah advanced to the next round of the ITF Men’s Futures M-15 (Leg-1) tournament here at the PTF Tennis Complex on Wednesday.

Shoaib cruised past Edoardo Cherie Ligniere of Italy 6-1, 6-3, while Barkatullah rallied to defeat compatriot Yousaf Khalil 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Top seed Leo Borg of Sweden, son of tennis great Bjorn Borg, downed Pakistan’s veteran Aqeel Khan 7-6(7/4), 6-3.

In men’s doubles, the young Pakistani pair of Abubakar Talha and Ahmad Nael Qureshi fought back after dropping the first set to beat Russian duo of Egor Khotchenkov and Dmitrii Shirokii 5-7, 6-2, 10-5.

Other Pakistan’s doubles success saw Aqeel and Barkat Khan thrash Poland’s Adam Bajurko and Lawrence Bataljin of Australia 6-0, 6-1.

Results (first-round):

Men’s singles: Darrshan Suresh (Malaysia) bt Melih Anavatan (Turkiye) 6-4, 6-3, Arvid Nordquist (Sweden) bt Carl Holder (Britain) 6-4, 7-6(7/0), Samir Hamza Reguig (Algeria) bt Andrei Kunitsyn (Russia) 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(7/4), Alexey Dubinin (Russia) bt Adam Bajurko (Poland) 6-3, 6-3, Mert Naci Turker (Turkiye) bt Stevan Popovic (Germany) 6-7(5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3)

Men’s doubles: Essa Qabazard (Kuwait)/Darrshan Suresh (Malaysia) bt Arkhip Kozlov (Russia)/Abdulaziz Usmonjonov (Uzbekistan) 7-5, 6-3, Adam Farag-Cao (Canada)/Carl Holder (Britain) bt Nikita Ianin/Andrei Kunitsyn (Russia) 3-6, 7-6(7/3), 10-6, Tugra Duran/Mert Naci Türker (Turkiye) bt Yousaf Khalil/Muhammad Shoaib (Pakistan) 6-4, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2026