ISLAMABAD - Former Davis Cupper 58-year-old Hameed-ul-Haq showed once again that class is permanent and form is temporary, as he came from behind to beat Junior Davis Cup team member Ahmed Kamil 2-1 in marathon 3-hour men’s singles first round match of the 5th Shaheed Benazir Bhutto National Ranking Tennis Championship 2019 played here at Islamabad Tennis Complex (ITC) on Tuesday.
Hameed lost the first set 3-6, as his fifth game was broken by young Kamil, but he bounced back to take the second set 6-3 and completed the memorable victory by winning the third and decisive set 6-4 after breaking 10th game of Kamil to move into the second round. Senator Taj Haider watched all the matches and he especially lauded Hameed for his sensational victory. In other men’s singles matches, Barkat Ullah beat Nauman Aftab 6-4 and 6-1, Ahmed Chaudhry beat Khursheed Abbassi 6-0 and 6-2, Shehzad Khan beat Ibrahim Omer 6-0 and 6-2 and Yousaf Khan beat Rashid Malik 6-1 and 6-4.
In the men’s doubles first round matches, Aisam and Aqeel stole the limelight, as they outclassed Col Shahid/Usman Ejaz 6-1, 6-1. Aisam/Aqeel won the first set 6-1 and then they completed the routine victory by claiming the second set with same margin of 6-1 to book berth in the second round. In other doubles matches, Muzzamil/Muddassir beat Rashid Malik (ZTBL)/Sikandar Hayat 6-2 and 6-2.
In boys’ U-18 first round matches, Mahatir Muhammad beat Ahtesham Arif 6-2 and 6-2, M Shoaib w/o Afham Rana, Farman Shakeel beat Sami Zeb 6-3, 1-6 and 6-2, Uzair Khan beat Hasan Ali 6-3 and 6-4, Nalain Abbas beat Parbat Kumar 4-6, 6-0 and 6-0, Hamid Israr w/o Abdul Hanan Khan, Osama Khan beat Zain Ch 6-0 and 6-0, Noor e Mustafa beat Kashan Umer 6-0 and 6-1, M Huzaifa Khan beat Ahmed Nael 6-3 and 6-0, Hasheesh Kumar beat Talha Khan 6-1, 2-6 and 6-3, Faizan Shahid beat Hamza Asim 3-6, 6-2 and 6-0 and Aqib Hayat beat Yahya Musa Luni 6-3 and 6-0.
In boys/girls U-12 first round matches, Ali Zain beat Marukh Sajid 4-0 and 4-0, Hamza Ali beat Orhan Sohail 4-0 and 4-1 and Ahtesham Humayun beat Shahsawar Khan 4-1 and 4-0. In boys/girls U-10 first round, Han li De w/o Jamal Shah, Haziq Asim beat Aqtan Bekeshov 4-0 and 4-0, Hamza Roman beat Lalarukh Sajid 4-0 and 4-0, Abdul Wasay w/o Anees Ahmed and Muhammad Shayan w/o Hamad Shah.
