KARACHI, Sept 26: Top seed Yogesh Shah from India had to work up a sweat in overcoming Karim Gul and pick up the Plus 45 singles title in the Pakistan International Seniors Tennis Championship 2004 played on Sunday afternoon on the Karachi Gymkhana hard courts.
The Indian top seed excelling with his serves and volleys managed to break Karim in the first set, after the latter with fine cross court smashes drew spontaneous applause from the partisan crowd which thronged the Gymkhana court.
After winning a very hard fought out first set 6-4, the two matched each other stroke for stroke, but once again Karim going great guns dropped his serve again and swooping down like a marauding hawk, Yogesh grabbed the second set and match 6-4.
However, it was not to be for another Indian player Dara Billimoria in the Plus 55 event. Although trying desperately hard to stem the tide, Billimoria crashed out 0-6, 2-6, to Laeeq Pirzada who was in tremendous form from the word go.
Earlier on Saturday evening Billimoria and his partner Jaffer Hassan lost to the Pirzada brothers Laeeq and Munir in straight sets in the Plus 55 doubles. The top seeds Tariq Sadozai and Tayyab Yousuf after a setback on Saturday going down to Babar Ali Khan and Shahid Aziz in straight sets in the Plus 35 doubles, bounced back on Sunday to lift the Plus 45 doubles event beating Maqsood Ismail and Khawaja Masroor in three gruelling sets 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, to gain a measure of satisfaction.
Karim Gul Agha won the Plus 35 singles crown without having to play a stroke as he was awarded a walkover by Imran Ahmed, who injured himself in the semifinals.
Following were the final results:
PLUS 35 SINGLES (FINAL)
Karim Gul Agha walkover Imran Ahmed (injured)
PLUS 45 SINGLES (FINAL)
Yogesh Shah (India) beat Karim Gul 6-4, 6-4.
PLUS 55 SINGLES (FINAL)
Laeeq Pirzada beat Dara Billimoria (India) 6-0, 6-2.
PLUS 35 DOUBLES (FINAL)
Babar Ali Khan & Shahid Aziz beat Tariq Sadozai & Tayyab Yousuf 6-4, 6-3.
PLUS 45 DOUBLES (FINAL)
Tariq Sadozai & Tayyab Yousuf beat Maqsood Ismail and Kawaja Masroor 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
PLUS 55 DOUBLES (FINAL)
Munir Pirzada & Laeeq Pirzada beat Dara Billimoria & Jaffer Hassan 6-4, 6-4.