LAHORE - Pakistan’s international tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, partnering with Aqeel Khan, outscored M Abid and Muzammil Murtaza 6-2, 6-2 to win the men’s doubles title in the biggest prize money carrying Nayza All Pakistan Open Tennis Championship 2019 here at the Punjab Tennis Academy Bagh-e-Jinnah.
The finals of the Nayza All Pakistan Open Tennis Championship 2019 will be contested today (Thursday) here at the same venue. Rafum Group Chairman Zahid Hussain will grace the concluding ceremony as chief guest, which will take place around 4:00 pm. PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), PLTA and PTF officials, players and their families and tennis enthusiasts will also be present on the occasion.
Aisam and Aqeel, who have been playing key role in Pakistan’s crucial victories in the Davis Cup ties since long and they are the real heroes of the country, added another feather in their already decorated cap by lifting the men’s doubles title. They played tremendously against the young and promising pair of Abid and Muzammil and won the first set 6-2, while they won the second set with same margin of 6-2 to win the final.
In men’s 35 plus final, it was double delight for the longest serving national No 1 Aqeel Khan, who partnering with Talha Waheed (Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd), outperformed Shaharyar Salamat and Ali Asad by 6-4, 6-2.
This is the third consecutive victory for Talha Waheed, who is top seed in 35 plus category, as besides this title, he also won the 35 plus doubles title in EBM All Pakistan Open Tennis Championship and Karachi Club All Pakistan National Ranking Tennis Championship.
In the ladies singles semifinals, Pakistan’s first and only world ranked player Ushna Suhail defeated No 1 player Sara Mansoor 6-3, 7-5 while former No 1 Sarah Mehboob thrashed Mehak Khokhar 6-0, 6-1. In U-18 first semifinal, Asheesh Kumar thumped Usama Mehmood Khan 6-3, 6-2 while Nalain Abbas defeated Aqib Umer 6-4, 6-4.
In the first semifinal of U-14, Hamid Israr routed Mahateer Mohammad 6-1, 6-2 while Bilal Asim outlasted Uzair Khan 6-1, 6-1. In U-14 doubles, Huzaima Abdul Rehman and Mahateer routed Ehtesham Humayun and Kamran Khan 4-1, 4-1 in first semifinal while Uzair Khan and Kashan Umar defeated Bilal Asim and Hamaza Jawad 4-2, 4-2 in the second semifinal.
