The main draw of the 1st Meinhardt Grade A+ National Ranking Tennis Championship has begun at the PTF Tennis Complex in Islamabad, bringing some of Pakistan’s leading tennis players into action.
Top players including Aqeel Khan, Muzammil Murtaza, Muhammad Shoaib, Barkatullah, Mudassar Murtaza, Hamza Roman, Abubakar Talha and Ahmad Nail Qureshi are participating in the prestigious championship, alongside several leading women and junior players.
More Than 400 Entries Across 11 Categories
The tournament has received an impressive response, with more than 400 entries across 11 categories.
The categories include Men’s Singles and Doubles, Ladies’ Singles and Doubles, Boys’ Under-18, Under-14 and Under-12 Singles, Girls’ Under-14 and Under-12 Singles, as well as Men’s 40+ and 50+ Doubles.
A total prize purse of PKR 2 million will be distributed among the participating players.
Competitive Opening Round
The opening round of the Men’s Singles main draw produced several competitive encounters.
Muhammad Hamza Asim defeated Hira Ashiq, Sami Zaib Khan beat Muhammad Talha Khan, while Abdul Basit secured a straight-set victory over Uzair Khan.
Abubakar Talha survived a closely contested three-set battle against Shehzad Khan, while Hassan Usmani recorded a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Shakirullah.
Ahmad Nail Qureshi and Muhammad Shoaib also advanced with victories in their respective first-round matches.
The Boys’ Under-18 competition also witnessed several exciting encounters, with a number of players progressing to the next round.
Rain in Islamabad briefly disrupted play, but matches resumed after weather conditions improved.
Pakistan Tennis Federation President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Secretary General Colonel Ziauddin Tufail expressed their best wishes to all participating players, saying the championship would provide an important opportunity for athletes to compete at a high level and improve their national rankings.
