ITF Pakistan Junior Tennis C’ships Nauman, Saqib reach doubles final

KARACHI: The Pakistani pair of Nauman Aftab and Saqib Hayat on Wednesday moved into the final of the ITF Pakistan Junior Tennis Championships in Islamabad.

In the semi-finals of boys’ doubles category, third seed pair of Nauman and Saqib stunned the top seed duo of Luca Emanuel of Germany and Daniel Webb of Britain 7-6(3), 6-3.

In the other semi-final, fourth seed Korean pair of Gunuk Kang and Min-Joon Kim overpowered second seed Pakistani pair of Huzaifa Abdu Rehman and Shoaib Khan 2-6, 7-6(2) [10-7]. However, Shoaib and Huzaifa managed to reach the semi-finals of singles category.

Sixth seed Shoaib had stunned top seed Daniel Webb of Britain 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-1 in the quarter-final. He will play against Gunuk Kang, who had surprised fifth seed Nauman Aftab of Pakistan 6-1, 6-1 to reach last-four.

Second seed Huzaifa had beaten compatriot Ahmed Kamil 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-final. He will be up against third seed Min-Joon Kim of Korea who qualified after defeating seventh seed Saqib Hayat 6-3, 6-2.