ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan ATP Challenger Cup officially began on November 23 at the PTF Tennis Complex in Islamabad. This historic tournament features 25 international players from countries such as Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Australia, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, Sweden, Georgia, Great Britain, and Switzerland, alongside 10 top Pakistani players.
Sweden’s Elias Ymer, currently ranked 169 in the ATP World Rankings, is the top seed, while Jay Clarke from Great Britain, ranked 213, is the second seed of the tournament.
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), expressed his pride in the achievement, noting that after significant efforts, the ATP has granted Pakistan the opportunity to host this event. He shared his excitement about playing the tournament in his home country, something he had never experienced before in his career.
He thanked the ATP for their support and warmly welcomed the international players, emphasizing the tournament’s value for local players who will now have the chance to earn ATP points.
The PTF Secretary General also highlighted the importance of this milestone, underscoring the tournament’s role in providing Pakistani players with an opportunity to compete at an international level and gain valuable ranking points.
Men’s Singles – Round of 32 Results:
- [6] Mert Alkaya (TUR) defeated [Q] Samir Iftikhar (PAK) 6-2, 6-2
- [Alt] Dinko Dinev (BUL) defeated [WC] Aqeel Khan (PAK) 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-1
- [WC] Muzammil Murtaza (PAK) defeated [Q] Yousaf Khalil (PAK) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
- Nikita Bilozertsev (UKR) defeated [3] Saba Purtseladze (GEO) 6-2, 3-0 Retired
- Gian Luca Tanner (SUI) defeated [Alt] Alexey Aleshchev 6-1, 6-3
- [4] Denis Yevseyev (KAZ) defeated [Alt] Ivan Gretskiy 7-6(7), 6-3
- [7] Leo Borg (SWE) defeated [Alt] Matthias Ujvary (AUT) 6-2, 6-4
- Dragos Nicolae Cazacu (ROU) defeated Preston Brown (USA) 7-6(2), 6-4
- Zach Stephens (GBR) defeated [Alt] Gokberk Saritas (TUR) 6-1, 6-0
- Johan Nikles (SUI) defeated [Alt] Adrian Arcon (AUS) 6-1, 6-1
Men’s Doubles – Round of 16:
- Nikita Bilozertsev (UKR) / Preston Brown (USA) defeated [WC] Hamaza Roman (PAK) / Abubakar Talha (PAK) 6-2, 7-5
