ISLAMABAD - Top seeds entered boys’ singles quarterfinals of the ITA-SNGPL ITF Pakistan World Junior Tennis Championship 2019 after winning their respective second round matches here at Senator Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex on Tuesday.

Top seed Daniel Webb of Great Britain, second seed Huzaifa Abdul Rehman, third seed Min-Joon Kim (KOR), sixth seed Shoaib Khan, Dong Hwan (KOR), Yu-Shun Lai (TPE), Chen-Yu Lu (TPE) and Gunuk Kang (KOR) emerged as winner in the second round. Interestingly, majority of local juniors managed to win their respective singles matches.

In first match of the morning, Shoaib Khan of Pakistan outclassed Uzbekistan’s Shamsutdinov Oybekimirzo in straight sets. Shoaib won the first set 6-2, by breaking second and fourth serves and was simply in irresistible form in the second set, which he took 6-0. In the other matches of the day, top seed Briton Daniel Webb thumped Uzbekistan’s Fayzullaev Ibrokhim 6-2, 6-2.

Local girl Mahin Aftab Qureshi, who was top junior player and was ranked amongst top 3 in senior ladies category in national rankings, before she was out for more than a year due to wrist injury, lost the match 2-1 at the hands of Iranian Khanloo Mahta. Mahin put up a brave fight and showed glimpses of her past but she lost first set 3-6. She bounced back in style to clinch the second set 6-1 and she was playing superbly in the third set, where she hit some winners but she remained unlucky to lose the third set on tie-breaker 7-6(5).

Aysegul Mert thumps Sazanova Asima 6-0, 6-1

In the other matches of the day, Turkish top seed Aysegul Mert thumped Sazanova Asima (KAZ) 6-0, 6-1 while second seed Russian Valitova Arina, third seed Iranian Meshkatolzahra Safi, fourth seed Korean Ji Woo Choi, sixth seed Inanian Khanloo Mahta, seventh seed Korean Soo Ha Jang, eighth seed Hong Kong’s Hannah Kaile Shen and un-seeded French Thouard Clemence moved into the quarterfinals by beating their respective opponents in the pre-quarterfinals.

In boys’ doubles first round, Yu-Shun Lai (TPE)/Chen Yu Lu (TPE) beat M Huzaifa Khan (PAK)/M Talha Khan (PAK) 6-1, 6-3; Zalan Khan (PAK)/Subhan Bin Salik (PAK) beat Aryan Giri (NEP)/Hamid Israr Gul (PAK) 4-6, 6-0, 10-8; Osama Khan (PAK)/Sami Zeb Khan (PAK) beat Gunuk Kang (KOR)/Curtis Hong Tseng Tan (HKG) 6-1, 6-2; Muhammad Hadin (PAK)/Ahmed Nael Qureshi (PAK) beat Luca Emanuel Knese (GER)/KJavisha Ratnayake (SRI) 6-2, 6-3.

A formal opening ceremony was held where SNGPL BOD Chairman Senator Syed Dilawar Abbas, who is also PTF Patron, was chief guest. He welcomed the players especially the foreigners, parents, coaches from UK, France, Russia, Germany, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Iran, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Moldova along with Pakistani national players. PTF President Salim Saifullah Khan and others also attended the opening ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Dilawar Abbas said: “We as a nation understand the value of peace. Pakistan is a peace loving country with a vibrant culture, which is evident from this colourful international event being held in Pakistan. It is clear message to international community that Pakistan is peaceful place not only for sports but also for tourism and other economic related activities.

“SNGPL is fuelling the nation by providing environment-friendly energy. We are also fuelling the passion of the youth by promoting the sports culture to create harmony among the nation. We are supporting the games like cricket, tennis, badminton, squash, football, hockey, kabbadi, climbing and mountaineering,” he added.

Dilawar thanked all the participants and welcomed them all in Pakistan. “The main objective of holding junior event in Pakistan is to provide opportunities to local players to play against foreigners and get huge exposure. I promise to hold more such tournaments in future as well.”