Upset spree at Khawaja Iftikhar Tennis as top seeds tumble

LAHORE: In a day of major upsets at the Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmad Memorial National Ranking Tennis Championship, both top-seeded doubles pairs were eliminated while women’s favourite Meheq Khokhar suffered a shock defeat at the Sports Board Punjab Tennis Courts.

The men’s doubles semifinals produced the biggest surprises of the tournament as Muhammad Abid and Abdullah Anees stunned the partnership of tennis star Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Muzammil Murtaza with a convincing 7-5, 6-2 victory.

In yet another upset, Barkat Ullah and Yousaf Khalil outlasted the formidable duo of national champion Aqeel Khan and Muhammad Shoaib in a thriller, winning 5-7, 6-4 (15-13).

The women’s singles quarterfinals saw unseeded Zunaira Noor stage a remarkable comeback to defeat tournament favourite Meheq Khokar 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. In other matches, Sheeza Sajid defeated Mahrukh Sajid 6-2, 6-2, while Ushna Sohail and Amna Ali Qayum lived to their abilities and advanced with straight-set victories.

In the boys U-18 category, Abdullah Talha emerged victorious in a three-set battle against Hamza Roman, while Ahtesham Humayun survived a grueling contest against Hamza Ali Rizwan. Shehryar Anees and Bilal Asim completed the semifinal lineup with straight-set wins.

The tournament’s junior categories also saw intense competition, with Shayan Afridi, Rashid Ali, and Junaid Khan showing impressive form across different age groups. The girls U-14 semifinals saw Khadija Khalil advance with a controlled performance against Aimen Rehan.