LAHORE: The 9th Sheheryar Malik Memorial Pakistan Open Tennis Championship 2025 continued with great enthusiasm at the Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy, Nishtar Park, Lahore, where some of Pakistan’s top tennis stars produced commanding performances to secure their spots in the semifinals across various categories.
In the men’s singles quarterfinals, Pakistan’s seasoned campaigner Aqeel Khan displayed his trademark class, overpowering the young and talented Abubakar Talha 7-6, 6-1 in straight sets. Muzamil Murtaza also impressed with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-2 victory over Yousaf Khalil, while Mudassir Murtaza survived a tough three-set battle to edge past Barkatullah 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. In another thrilling encounter, M Shoaib fought back strongly after losing the opening set to defeat M Abid 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 and book his place in the last four.
The men’s doubles quarterfinals witnessed some exciting contests. The pair of Aqeel Khan and Shehzad Khan showed remarkable coordination to beat Heera Ashiq and Mudassir Murtaza 6-1, 6-4, while Pakistan’s top doubles star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, partnering with Muzamil Murtaza, overcame M Shoaib 6-2, 7-5. In other matches, Yousaf Khalil and Barkatullah defeated Ahmad Babar and Saqib Hayat 6-3, 6-0, and the pair of Abubakar Talha and Ahmad Nael Qureshi brushed aside Hamza Ali Rizwan and Faizan Fayyaz 6-0, 6-1.
In the ladies’ singles semifinals, top seed Ushna Sohail maintained her dominant form by registering a flawless 6-0, 6-0 win over Shimza Naz Durab, while Mehaq Khokhar stormed into the final with an emphatic 6-0, 6-2 victory against Labika Durab, setting up an exciting title clash between the two in-form players.
Among the rising stars, the boys’ U-12 quarterfinals featured impressive performances by young talents, as Muhammad Ayan of Fatima Group crushed Daniyal (KPK) 4-0, 4-0, and Muhammad Muaz of Fatima Group defeated Mustafa Uzair Rana 4-2, 4-2 to advance to the semifinals.
In the seniors 45+ doubles quarterfinals, Arif Feroze and Khurram Imtiaz recorded a solid 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ahsan Razzaq and M Waqar Azeem, while Qadir Nawaz and Dr Sohaib thrashed M Asghar and Ali Leghari 6-0, 6-0. In the seniors 55+ doubles semifinals, veteran duo Rashid Malik and Arif Feroze continued their fine run, outclassing Waheed Ch and Ali Qayum 6-1, 6-2 to secure their berth in the final.
