LAHORE- All the top players advanced to the second round with comfortable wins in the SA Gardens Pakistan Open Tennis Championship 2021 men’s singles first rounds matches played here at the Punjab Tennis Academy, Bagh-e-Jinnah on Tuesday. 
SA Gardens Director Sales & Marketing Ahmad Raza graced the opening ceremony as chief guest and formally inaugurated the event in the presence Aamir Malik, PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik (Tamgh-e-Imtiaz), players and their families and tennis enthusiast. The chief guest, along with PLTA officials and spectators, fully enjoyed the high-quality tennis matches and hoped that under the patronage of PLTA especially former Davis Cup captain Rashid Malik, the tennis in Punjab will further flourish and the country will get future tennis stars soon. 
In the men’s singles first round matches, Hasheesh Kumar had to struggle hard to beat Imran Bhatti 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 while seasoned campaigner Heera Ashiq outlasted Hassan Riaz 6-0, 6-3, Illham Khan defeated Israr Gull 7-5, 6-2, Asad Ullah routed Aqib Hayat 6-2, 6-2, Muzamil Murtaza toppled Hassan Shaukat 6-2, 6-1, Ahmad Ch trounced Mahatir Muhammad 6-2, 6-0, Barkat Ullah outpaced Faizan Khurram 6-1, 6-3. 
Aqeel Khan, the longest serving No 1 player, outsmarted young Shakir Ullah 6-2, 6-3, M Abid outscored Syed Nofil Kaleem 6-1, 6-0, Fainzan Fayyaz beat Ijaz Khan 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, Ahmad Babar routed Zalan Khan 6-3, 6-3, Muhammad Shoaib beat Nouman Aftab 7-5, 6-2, Waqas Malik defeated Ahmad Asjad 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 and Saqib Hayyat thumped Talha Khan 6-2, 6-2.