LAHORE - Noor Malik (ZTBL), Mian Bilal, Abu Bakar Talha and Talha/Usama clinched the titles in their respective categories in the Lt Gen Farrukh Khan Memorial Punjab Open Tennis Championship, which concluded here at PLTA courts on Wednesday.
Lt Gen (retd) Khalid Latif Mughal graced the concluding ceremony as chief guest and distributed prizes among the winners. Pakistan’s only international star Aisamul Haq Qureshi, PLTA secretary and former Davis Cupper Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), family of Lt Gen Farrukh Khan, players and their families and a large number of tennis enthusiasts were also present on the occasion.
Rashid Malik also thanked all the top Army officials who were present there and family of Lt Gen Farrukh Khan. He vowed that in coming years, sports in Pakistan will flourish if we all start working at grassroots level.
In the ladies singles final, Noor Malik (ZTBL) overpowered Shimza Durab by 6-3, 6-4. Noor started the match well and kept on putting pressure on her opponent through her powerful game and shots which oaid dividend and she succeeded in winning the first set 6-3. Noor had to struggle a bit harder in the second before winning it 6-4, thus emerged as title winner.
In the men’s singles final, Mian Bilal had to face tough resistance from his spirited opponent Ahmad Kamil to win the encounter by 2-6, 6-3, 10-8.
The U-10 title was clinched by Abubakar Talha (Wapda), who outsmarted Hamza Ali Rizwan by 8-3. Waheed brothers, Talha and Usama, annexed the 35 plus doubles title by routing the archrival pair of Fayyaz Khan and Ashar Ali Khan by 6-3, 6-0.
The U-18 final was won by Ifham Rana who beat Mohammad Said 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, the U-16 title went to Faizan Fayyaz, who beat Hassan Ali 6-7, 7-6, 10-7.
The U-14 trophy lifted by Bilal Asim who outpaced Hassan Ali 6-4, 6-4, the U-14 doubles final was won by Bilal Asim/Ahtesham Arif beat Hassan Ali/Shaeel Tahir 6-2, 6-4, the U-12 title was bagged by Asad who beat Husnain Ali Rizwan 8-6 and Aqsa Akram annexed the girls U-12 trophy by routing Astifila Arif 8-3.
