Punjab Sports Minister inaugurates 9th Sheheryar Malik Memorial Pakistan Open Tennis

TTS Report :

Punjab’s Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mr. Faisal Ayub Khokhar inaugurated the 9th Sheheryar Malik Memorial Pakistan Open Tennis Championship 2025 at the state-of-the-art Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy, Nishtar Park, Lahore.

The prestigious event is being organized under the auspices of Punjab Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA). The event has attracted a large number of male and female players from across the country, all vying for top honors in one of Pakistan’s most anticipated tennis tournaments of the year. The event was also attended by Mr. Rashid Malik (Senior Executive Vice President, PLTA), Mr. Waqar Nisar (Finance Secretary, PLTA), Mr. Asif Riaz (Tournament Referee), and a large number of players, parents, coaches, and media representatives.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Faisal Ayub Khokhar extended his best wishes to all participants, urging them to pursue excellence with dedication and passion to bring pride to Pakistan. He lauded Mr. Rashid Malik for his relentless efforts in promoting and developing tennis across the nation.

During the ceremony, the Minister announced a grant of PKR 500,000 for the successful organization of the tournament and revealed that monthly stipends would be awarded to top-performing players to support their continued growth and training. He emphasized that the Punjab government is committed to nurturing sporting talent not only at the provincial level but also nationally, ensuring a strong foundation for Pakistan’s sporting future.

Tournament chief organizer Rashid Malik, along with Vice Chairman Sports Board Punjab Salman Malik and Malik Anosh Khokhar, also attended the ceremony, expressing gratitude to the Punjab government for its continued support of tennis and youth sports.

The 2025 edition features 19 categories, promising an exciting week of top-class tennis and intense competition among Pakistan’s emerging and seasoned players.

The highlight of the day was the thrilling men’s singles first-round clash between Abubakar Talha and seasoned Davis Cupper Shehzad Khan. After dropping the opening set 3-6, Abubakar showcased remarkable resilience and composure, mounting a stunning comeback to edge past Shehzad in a pulsating three-set battle, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. His fighting spirit and great determination turned the contest into one of the most memorable encounters of the tournament so far.

In other men’s singles matches, Muzamil Murtaza defeated Saqib Hayat 7-5, 6-2,
Aqeel Khan beat M Huzaifa Khan 6-3, 6-4, M Shoaib outpaced Hassan Kamran 6-2, 6-0,
Barkat Ullah beat Faizan Fayyaz 6-0 (retd), Yousaf Khalil thrashed Murtaza Hassan 6-0, 6-0, M Abid thumped Heera Ashiq 6-1, 6-0, Mudassar Murtaza defeated Ahmad Nael Qureshi 7-5, 6-2. Ahmad Ch outwitted Waqas Malik 6-3, 6-1, Talha Khan edged out Imran Bhatti 7-5, 7-5, Ahmad Babar overwhelmed Sami Zeb Khan 6-0, 6-1, Hassan Riaz outlasted Zain Saeed 6-1, 6-1, Hamza Ali Rizwan defeated Hassan Shaukat 6-1, 6-3, Jabir Ali routed Uzair Khan 6-3, 6-1 and Haziq Areejo had to struggle hard to overcome spirited Ohad-e-Mustafa 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

In the ladies singles 1st round, Fajar Fayyaz thrashed WC Saima 6-0, 6-0, Maleeha Khalid thumped Mashaal Muhammad 6-0, 6-0,
Labika Durab defeated Eesha Rabbi 6-2, 6-1 and Hajra Sohail outplayed Sania Zahra 6-0, 6-1. In the girls U-12 1st round, Zaina Abdullah def. Aimal Tariq 4-1, 4-0, Aiman Rehan defeated Wajeeha Fatima 4-0, 4-1.

In the boys/girls U-10 1st round, Aimal Tariq defeated Wali Abdullah 6-4, Hadi Ali Rizwan outplayed Murtaza Monnoo, Mamnoon Bari outpaced Wajeeha Fatima 7-5 and Wali M Hassan beat Murad Monnoo 6-3.

In the boys U-12 1st round, Mamnoon Bari thumped Fahad Mustafa 4-0, 4-0, Daniyal (KPK) thrashed Turab Bhatti 4-0, 4-0, M Ibraheem Hussain Gill crushed Tanzeel Sajjad 4-0, 4-0, Mustafa Zia beat Wali M Hassan 4-2, 2-4, 4-0,
Ashtar Alam downed Hadi Ali Rizwan 4-1, 4-0, M Faizan beat Ismail Shahbaz 4-0, 4-2, Shahzain Faisal thrashed Murad Monnoo 4-0, 4-0, Shayan Afridi thumped Ali Abbas Shaukat 4-0, 4-0 and Ehsan Bari thrashed Hadi Kamran 4-0, 4-0.

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