Aqeel, Shahzad cruise into doubles semis

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Aqeel Khan and Shahzad Khan overpowered India’s Anuraq Nenwani and Jayesh Punglia in quarter-finals of Begum Kulsum ITF Futures Tennis Tournament 2017 at Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Complex in Islamabad on Friday.

Aqeel and Shahzad played brilliantly and recorded a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory to secure their place in semi-finals. Earlier, the pair defeated Roy Hobbs from Singapore and Canadian Kelsey Stevenson in the first round.

In the singles event quarter-finals, top seeded Russian Ivan Nedelko defeated German Julian Onken, who was seeded sixth, by 7-5, 6-1.Fourth seeded Spaniard Pere Riba bowed out of the tournament due to injury. Riba was leading the match against Luka Pavlovic of France by 6-2, 5-5 score before retiring.

Second seed from Spain Enrique Lopez-Perez defeated seventh seed Peter Goldsteiner of Austria by 6-3, 6-1. Fifth seed Shalva Dzhanashia of Russia defeated third seeded compatriot Kristian Lozan by 6-4, 6-2.