Mohammad Shoaib maintains winning habit, defeats Matas Vasiliauskas 2-0
Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD: Veteran tennis player, Aqeel Khan pairing with Barkatullah Khan claimed a big win against duo of overseas lads Adam Farag-Cao from Canada and Carl Holder from Great Britain after a three sets nerve-jangling thrilling competition in the Men’s Double event of the ITF Men’s Futures M-15 (Leg-1) here at PTF-SDA Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue on Thursday.
Pakistan’s top player, Mohammad Shoaib, produced a commanding performance in the second round of the ITF M-15 Islamabad, thrilling the home crowd with his dominance on court. Facing Matsas of Lithuania, Shoaib showed complete control from the very first point. He stormed through the opening set 6-0, displaying precision, power, and confidence that left his opponent with little chance to respond. Carrying the same momentum into the second set, Shoaib raced to a 4-1 lead before Matsas was forced to retire, sealing Shoaib’s emphatic victory.
With this win, Shoaib has qualified for the quarterfinals -a significant milestone, not just for him but for Pakistan tennis as a whole. His achievement is especially noteworthy as it highlights the growing strength of local players competing at the international level on home soil.
In the doubles quarterfinal, experienced campaigner Aqeel Khan partnered with emerging player Barkatullah to deliver a strong and composed performance. The Pakistani duo overcame the pair of Adam Farag-Cao of Canada and Carl Holder of Great Britain in a competitive encounter. After dominating the first set 6-1, Aqeel and Barkatullah faced resistance in the second set, which they narrowly lost 4-6. However, showing great composure and teamwork, they bounced back in the match tie-break to seal the victory 10-5. With this impressive win, Aqeel Khan and Barkatullah have successfully qualified for the semifinals, continuing Pakistan’s promising run in the doubles event.
Results:
Men’s Singles (Pre-Quarterfinals):
Mohammad Shoaib (PAK) beat Matas Vasiliauskas (LTU) 6-0, 4-1 (Retd.)
Mert Naci Türker (TUR) beat Abubakar Talha (PAK) 6-3, 6-4
Nikita Ianin (RUS) beat Barkatullah (PAK) 6-2, 6-0
Fanming Meng (CHN) beat Essa Qabazard (KUW) 6-4, 6-3
Arvid Nordquist (SWE) beat Darrshan Suresh (MAS) 6-3, 6-3
Samir Hamza Reguig (ALG) beat Alexey Dubinin (RUS) 6-0, 6-3
Leo Borg (SWE) beat Mohammad Abid Ali Akbar Khan (PAK) 6-4, 6-4
Kere Yilmaz (TUR) beat Dmitrii Shiroki 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
Men’s Doubles (Quarterfinals):
Aqeel Khan / Barkatullah Khan (PAK) beat Adam Farag-Cao (CAN) / Carl Holder (GBR) 6-1, 4-6, (10-5)
Ivan Iutkin / Alexey Dubinin (RUS) beat Abubakar Talha / Ahmad Nael Qureshi (PAK) 4-6, 6-3, 10-5.
