ISLAMABAD - German Kai Wehnelt made huge upset in the $15,000 4th Benazir Bhutto Shaheed ITF Futures (F3) Championship-2018, as he thrashed top seed Japanese Rio Noguchi in straight sets in the final played here at Islamabad Tennis Complex on Saturday.
Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla was supposed to attend the closing ceremony as chief guest but due to his commitments in Karachi, he could not turn up. Senator Taj Hadier, who remained vocal in all the four Benazir Bhutto Tennis events graced the occasion as chief guest, while Pakistan Tennis Federation President Salim Saifullah Khan, former Pakistan Davis Cup coach Fazle Subhan, Subh-e-Nau Chairperson Shahida Farooq Kausar and a large number of foreign delegates.
It was festivity all-around as entire complex was decorated with the national flags of the participating players.
Third seed German, Kai Wehnelt was up against the tennis 19-year-old Rio Noguchi. Kai was highly underdog in the final, as Noguchi was playing exceptional tennis throughout the last three weeks, and it was his second final as he lost in the semi-finals in the ITF Futures-2 and was looking highly determined to end on a high, especially after the top seed Korean Cheong-Eui Kim was ruled out after sustaining injury. It was golden opportunity for Noguchi to land maiden title on Pakistani soil. The first set started on a lightening pace as Kai wasted very little time to completely outclassed Noguchi. Kai was using his height to the best of his advantage as his lobs were passing over the head of the Japanese Noguchi, who not only looked nervous but also out of sorts. Kai was pushing hard and Noguchi was just a meagre spectator, soon it was 3-0, before Noguchi finally managed to hold onto his serve, but it was too little too late as Kai wrapped up first set 6-1 in 30 minutes.
The second set saw, Noguchi looked highly under pressure and soon he was 0-30 down in the first game. But Kai made two mistakes and Noguchi managed to hold onto his serve. Kai also hold onto his serve and it was 1-1. Noguchi started to show some glimpses of his game and made it 2-1 and against the run of play it was Noguchi, who broke Kai’s 4th serve to make it 3-1. But Kai bounced back in style and broke 5th serve of Noguchi and then held his serve to square things at 3-3. It was 5-5, before Kai once again broke 11th game of Noguchi and raced onto win the 12th game, thus winning the set and title 7-5 in 48 minutes.
Kai was handed over beautiful trophy and $2160, while Noguchi had to settle for runners up shield and $1272.
While talking to The Nation soon after winning his maiden ITF Futures singles title, a seemingly overjoyed Kai said: “Pakistan is the luckiest place for me and I can’t wait to come here again. It is my first tour singles title. Although I had won 4 doubles titles, but it will always remain special and close to my heart.”
Noguchi congratulated Kia and said it was not his day and he was happy that he visited Pakistan and was looking forward to come again.
While in the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed National Ranking Tennis Tournament-2018 U-18 singles final played at Senator Dilawar Abbas PTF Complex on Saturday, Shoaib Khan was given a real run for his money by Ahmed Kamil, who goes down fighting 1-2. Shoaib won the marathon final 3-6, 6-2 and 6-2.