Pakistan No 1 Aqeel Khan took berth into the semi-final after recording quarter-final victory against strong Mudassir in the Men singles event of the ongoing 36th Chief of the Air Staff Khyber Open Tennis Championship being played here at PAF Officer Mess Tennis Courts on Sunday.
Aqeel has an easy sailing in the first set at 61 but he faced tough resistance at the hands of Mudassir in the second set wherein Aqeel finished the set with 6-4 victory.
Aqeel Khan has got the honor of winning the prestigious CAS Khyber Open for 16 times out of 11 times in a row which is a big achievement.
Aqeel Khan lauded the managements for good preparation of the grassy courts and despite overnight rain responses of the surface is par excellent.
He said Mudassir is a good forehand and volley player and playing against Mudassir has compelled him to play extra-work. Yasir Khan beat Usman Rafique of Lahore by 6-3 and 6-2 in a one-sided affair.
In the other matches five seeded Shehzad Khan upset four seeded Hira Ashaq by 6-2, 3-6 and 6-4. Second seed Muhammad Abid beat Muzamil by 6-3 and 6-2 and moved to the semi-finals.
In the Under-18 quarter-finals Ahmad Kamil of Lahore defeated Kashif Khan of KP by 2-0, the score was 6-2 and 6y-1 while Amir Naseem beat Hafiz Arbab of Lahore by 2-1, the score was 2-6, 6-2 and 6-3.
In the Under-14 Sami Zaib and Shayan moved to the semi-final after recording victories against their respective rivals in the quarter-finals.
In the first quarter-final Sami Zaib beat Kashan Umar by 2-0, the score was 6-2 and 6-3, Shayan beat Hamid Israr by 2-0, the score was 6-2 and 6-4.
It was Under-10 Hamza beat Uzair bin Abbas by 2-0, the score was 6-2 and 6-3, Hanif Khan bitten Esha Zubair by 6-2 and 6-2 and Taimur beat Shayan by 61 and 6-2 to move to the semi-finals.
In the only match of the veteran's doubles Gul Hameed and Shamraz Khan defeated Dr. Farhat Ababs and Rahim Ullah Khan Ghandapur by 2-1, the score was 3-6, 6-2 and 6-4.