LAHORE – Former Davis Cupper Rashid Malik (ZTBL) won the seniors 50 plus title in the 6th Sheheryar Malik Memorial Pakistan Open Tennis Championship at Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy Nishtar Park on Friday.
Rashid Malik was up against Hassan Mehmood in the seniors 50 plus singles final. Malik was off to a flying start as he conceded just two points to take the first set 6-2. Hassan though showed resistance in the second set yet Malik was too tough to be handled by Hassan, thus lost the second and decisive set 6-3 to clinch the title.
In the men’s doubles final, Barkat Ullah/M Shoaib beat Aqeel Khan/M Abid 6-4, 4-6, 10-8. Earlier in the doubles semifinals, Aqeel/Abid beat Muzammil Murtaza/Mudassar Murtaza 6-3, 6-3 and Barkat Ullah/Shoaib beat Heera Ashiq/Youaf Khalil 6-4, 6-4. In the ladies doubles semifinals, Sara Mehboob/Sara Mansoor outpaced Zahra Suleman/Zainab Ali Naqvi 6-1, 6-2 while Esha Jawad/Amna Qayyum beat Noor Malik/Meheq Khokhar 6-1, 4-6, 10-8.
In the seniors 45 plus doubles semifinals, Sheheryar Salamat/Khurram Imtiaz beat Israr Gul/Irfan Ullah 6-4, 6-3. In the boys U-18 semifinal, Bilal Asim beat Hamid Israr 6-3, 6-4 and Mahatir Muhammad beat Semi Zeb Khan 6-3, 6-1. In the boys U-14 semifinals, Amir Mazari (Aitchison) beat Hamza Roman 7-5, 6-3 and Abubakar Talha beat Zohaib Afzal Malik 6-1, 6-1.
In the girls U-14 semifinals, Zunaisha Noor beat Bismel Zia 2-4, 4-2, 10-4 and Mahrukh beat Fajar Fayyaz 4-2, 4-1. In the boys U-12 semifinals, Abdur Rehman beat Razik Sultan 5-3, 5-4 and Ismail Aftab beat Rashid Ali 5-4, 4-1. In the girls U-12 semifinal, Hajra Suhail beat Bismel Zia 4-1, 5-4. All the finals will be played today (Saturday). Minister Sports Malik Taimoor Masood, Secretary Sports Ehsan Bhutta and DG Sports Muhammad Tariq Qureshi will be the chief guests at the prize distribution ceremony.
