Easy sailing for Aqeel as National Ranking Tennis begins

LAHORE: Pakistan number 1 and national champion Aqeel Khan got an easy sailing in the opening match of the 6th Hassan Tariq Rahim National Ranking Tennis Championship that was inaugurated here at Lahore Gymkhana hard courts on Monday.

Aqeel achieved a straight sets win over his rival Hamid Israr in men’s singles. Other than eight men’s singles matches, the same number of matches in under-18 category were also decided.

On the opening day in men’s singles and boys under-18, seeded players advanced into the next round. In U-18 1st round, Hasheesh Kumar beat Ahmad Nawaz w-o, Yahya Ahtesham beat Arman Kamran 6-2,6-4, Mahatir Muhammad beat Uzair Khan 6-4,2-6,6-3, Semi Zeb Khan beat Hamza Jawad 6-1,6-0, Bakir Ali beat Ali Jawad 6-0,6-0, Ghazi Ahmad beat Asad Zaman 6-3,6-3.

In men’s singles 1st round, Aqeel Khan beat Hamid Israr 6-0, 6-2, Barkat Ullah beat Shakir Ullah 6-3, 6-0, Muhammad Abid beat Sikandar Hayat 6-1, 6-2, Imran Bhatti beat Faizan Fayyaz Khan 6-2, 6-1, Shehzad Khan beat Bilal Asim 6-0, 6-1, Muhammad Shoaib beat Israr Gul 6-0, 6-0, Khalil beat Ibrahim Omar khan 6-0,6-0 and Parbhat Kumar beat Abdul Hanan Khan 6-3, 4-1 (retd).

The tournament was inaugurated by former Governor Punjab Khawaja Ahmad Tariq Rahim, who said: “When Hassan Tariq passed away, his friends and tennis players suggested that a tournament should be organised after his name.