ITF World Junior Tennis: Huzaifa, Shoaib set up semi-final clash

ISLAMABAD: Unseeded Kim Dong Hwan from Korea upset top seed Daniel Webb (Great Britain) in an exciting three-set match to earn a place in the semi-finals of the ITF Pakistan World Junior Ranking Tennis Championships at the S. Dilawar Abbas PTF Complex here Wednesday.

The only boys’ quarter-finals that went down to wire saw Kim Dong Hwan beating Daniel Webb 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Daniel broke the 9th game of Kim at and won the first set at 6-4 by holding his own serve. In the second set both players again displayed quality game. Score went up to 5-5 all by holding their respective serves.

Kim won the second set at 7-5 by breaking last game of Daniel in which he hit three double faults and received violation warning on ball abuse. Kim was in complete control in the final set and build up the winning lead 3-0 by breaking 2nd game of Daniel. He kept the pressure by hitting winner down the line to win the final set at 6-2 by breaking 6th game of Daniel. Match lasted in 2 hours 36 minutes.

All other quarter-finals turned out to be one-sided affairs as second seed Huzaifa Abdul Rehman and another Pakistani Shoaib Khan went through to semi-finals easily. Both will be seen in action against each other on Thursday morning.

In boys’ second semis, Kim Dong Hwan will play Min-Joon KIM (KOR).

Results: Boys’ singles quarter-finals: Dong Hwan Kim (KOR) bt Daniel Webb (GBR) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2; Min-Joon Kim (KOR) bt Yu-Shun Lai (TPE) 6-3, 6-1; Shoaib Khan (PAK) bt Chen-Yu Lu (TPE) 6-0, 6-2; Huzaifa Abdul Rehman (PAK) bt Gunuk Kang (KOR) 6-1, 6-0.

Girls’ singles quarter-finals: Aysegul Mert (TUR) bt Khanloo Mahta (IRI 6-4, 6-2; Soo Ha Jang (KOR) bt Meshkatolzahra Safi (IRI) 6-2, 6-1; Ji-Woo Choi (KOR) bt Thouard Clemence (FRA) 6-2, 6-1; Valitova Arina (RUS) bt Hannah Kaile Shen (HKG) 6-2, 6-4.

Boys’ doubles quarter-finals: Shoaib Khan (PAK) and Huzaifa Abdul Rehman (PAK) bt Gunuk Kang (KOR) and Curtis Hong Tseng Tan (HKG) 6-2, 6-1; Luca Emanuel Knese (GER) and Kavisha Ratnayake (SRI) bt Ahmed Kamil (PAK) and Saqib Hayat (PAK) 7-5, 4-6, 10-3; Muhammad Nauman Aftab (PAK) and Erikin Tootoonchi Mobhadam (IRI) bt Zalan Khan (PAK) and Subhan Bin Salik (PAK) 7-6(2), 6-3.

Girls’ doubles quarter-finals: Aysegul Mert (TUR) and Arina Valitova (RUS) bt Shima Durab (PAK) and Imsha Jawad (PAK) 6-0, 6-0; Ji Woo Choi (KOR) and Soo Ha Jang (KOR) bt Dorsa Cheraghi (IRI) and Leyla Nilufer Elmas (TUR) 6-1, 6-2; Aliya Abbas (MDA) and Clemence Thouard (FRA) bt Zoha Asim (PAK) and Hannah Kaile Shen (HKG) 6-1, 6-0; Mahta Khanlool (IRI) and Meshkatolzahra Safi (IRI) bt Ariba Imran Idress (HKG) and Asima Szzanova (KAZ) 6-1, 6-1.