Rizwan, Palwasha waltz into semi-finals

KARACHI: Mohammad Irfan Saeed Bhatti, Rizwan Azam, Mahnoor Shehzad and Palwasha Bashir on Thursday blasted their way into the finals of their respective men’s and women’s singles competitions of the Pakistan International Series Badminton tournament being held at the Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad.

The men’s semi-finals were all-Pakistan affairs. In the men’s singles first semi-final, Mohammad Irfan defeated Syed Shabbar Hussain 21-9, 21-9. In the second semi-final, Pakistan’s seasoned player Rizwan Azam got the better of his teammate Mohammad Muqeet Tahir 21-13, 21-8.

Meanwhile Mahnoor Shehzad whacked Saba Rasheed 21-14, 21-10 to win the first women’s singles semi-final.

In the other women’s singles pre-final, Pakistan’s leading player Palwasha Bashir overcame Nepal’s Nangsal Tamang 21-16, 21-12.

The finals will be held on Friday (today).

Other results: Mixed doubles first semi-final: Ratnajit Tamang and Nangsal Tamang (Nepal) bt Rizwan Azam and Sara Mohmand (Pakistan) 21-17, 21-15; mixed doubles second semi-final: Mohammad Irfan Saeed Bhatti and Memoona Ameer (Pakistan) bt Murad Ali and Saba Rasheed (Pakistan) 18-21, 1-16, 21-16. Women’s doubles first semi-final: Sidra Hamad and Khizra Rasheed (Pakistan) bt Ghazala Saddique and Javeria Tahir (Pakistan) 21-18, 21-18; women’s doubles second semi-final: Palwasha Bashir and Saima Manzoor (Pakistan) bt Sara Mohmand and Mahnoor Shahzad (Pakistan) 21-15, 21-9.

Men’s doubles first semi-final: Muhammad Irfan Saeed Bhatti and Azeem Sarwar (Pakistan) bt Anjum Bashir and Amir Saeed (Pakistan) 21-15, 21-11; men’s doubles second semi-final: Rizwan Azam and Kashif Ali Sulehri (Pakistan) bt Muhammad Atique and Awais Zahid (Pakistan) 21-10, 21-12.