LAHORE  -  The 4th Sheheryar Malik Memorial National Grass Court Tennis Championship 2020 was inaugurated by Director General Sports Adnan Arshad Aulakh during the opening ceremony held here at Punjab Tennis Academy on Tuesday. 

PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) introduced the players with the chief guest. Other notables present on the occasion were Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti, former Davis Cupper Inamul Haq, Irfan Ullah Khan, other top officials and a large number of male and female tennis players. 

It may be noted here that this championship is conducted every year in the memory of former Davis Cup captain Rashid Malik’s late son Sheheryar Malik. Over 370 male and female tennis players including top players like Aqeel Khan, Shahzad Khan, Ushna Suhail and Noor Malik are featuring in this major tennis event. 

Talking to the media, the DG Sports Punjab said tennis is growing swiftly among youth and Sports Board Punjab is extending every kind of assistance for holding of tennis events in the province. He also lauded the efforts of PLTA especially its secretary Rashid Malik for the development and promotion of tennis across the province. 

PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik said: “As many as 64 players featured in the qualifying round. The men’s main draw includes 32 players while 16 female players appearing in women’s draw. The event is being contested in U-6, U-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-18, men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, U-14 doubles, U-18 doubles, seniors 35 plus, 45 plus doubles and 60 plus doubles.”

In the men’s singles first round, Aqeel Khan beat Faizan Khurram 6-2, 6-2, Usman Rafiq beat Faizan Fayyaz 6-0, 6-2, Muhammad Shoaib beat Fayyaz Khan 6-1, 6-2, Heera Ashiq beat Saqib Hayat 6-1, 6-4, Shehzad Khan beat Imran Bhatti 6-4, 6-0, Syed Nofil Kaleem beat Ibrahim Khan 6-3, 6-4, Hassan Riaz beat Sikandar Hayat 7-6, 7-6, M Abid beat Shakir Ullah 6-0, 6-2, Ahmad Ch beat Subhan bin Salik 6-2, 6-2, Aqib Hayat beat Asad Ullah 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, Ahmad Babar beat Waqas Malik 6-2, 6-3, Mudassar Murtaza beat Abdaal Haider 6-3, 6-1, Yousaf Khalil beat Ahmad Kamil 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, Ejaz Khan beat Ayaz Khan 6-1, 6-1, Hasheesh Kumar beat Israr Gul 6-1, 6-1 and Muzamil Murtaza beat Nauman Aftab 6-1, 7-5. 

In boys’ U-18 1st round, M Shoaib beat Ahmed Nael 8-3, Bilal Asim beat Ahtesham Arif 8-5, Uzair Khan beat Shehryar Anees 8-1, Hamid Israr beat Bakir Ali 9-7, Faizan Fayyaz beat M Abdullah 8-3, Hamza Rehmat beat Zaeem Ghafoor 8-2, Haider Ali Rizwan beat Zainul Abideen 8-5, Aqib Hayat beat Abdul Hanan Khan 8-4, Hasam Khan beat Saim Danish 8-2, Mahatir Muhammad beat Ibrahim Salman 8-1, Nalain Abbas beat Azan Sajid 8-2, Farman Shakeel beat Hassan Ali 8-1, Kamran Khan beat Hamza Jawad 8-5 and Hasheesh Kumar beat Asad Zaman 8-2. 

In U-14 1st round, Bilal Asim beat Mustansir Ali 4-0, 4-0, Hamza Rehmat beat Moavia Butt 4-0, 4-0, Ahtesham Humayun beat Sheheryar Aness 5-3, 4-1, Haider Ali Rizwan beat Amna Qayyum 4-0, 4-0, Abdul Basit beat Arman Kamran 4-1, 0-4, 11-9, Yashar Tarar beat Ali Jawad 4-1, 5-3, Husnain Ali Rizwan beat Waleed Javed 4-0, 4-1, Shehansha beat Abu Bakar Khalil 4-0, 4-0 and Inam Qadir beat Abdul Ahad 4-0, 4-0.