Talha Stuns Abdullah in Federal Cup

The 37th OGDCL Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships kicked off with an action-packed opening day at the S. Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, Islamabad.

While most seeded players cruised through their first-round matches in the men's singles category, a major upset marked the day as unseeded M. Talha Khan of Islamabad defeated 6th seed Abdullah Adnan in straight sets.

Talha Khan dominated the much-anticipated encounter, showcasing maturity and skill beyond his years. He stormed through the first set 6-1 by breaking Abdullah in the 3rd and 5th games. In the second set, Talha maintained his momentum and form, not allowing his higher-ranked opponent a single game, sealing the match with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 victory.

The second most exciting match of the day featured Muhammad Yahya against M. Hamza Aasim, also from Islamabad. After dropping the first set 3-6, Yahya bounced back to take the second 6-2. He was leading 4-1 in the third set when Hamza was forced to retire, giving Yahya the win in a match filled with intensity and grit.

Matches were also played in the ladies singles, junior 18 & under, and boys 14 & under categories, where established players largely overpowered their less experienced opponents.

Earlier in the day, a formal opening ceremony was held. Mr. Uzair Aslam Chaudhary, CEO of Air Blue, graced the occasion as the chief guest. Notable attendees included Mr. Tariq Mehmood Murtaza, Chairman, and Mr. Majid Bashir, President of the Islamabad Tennis Association, along with Col. Zia-ud-Din, Secretary of PTF, and Col. Gul Rehman, Director of Security, PTF.

The tournament continues with more first-round matches scheduled for tomorrow, as players vie for ranking points and national glory.

Results of other matches are as follows:

Saqib Hayat beat M. Talha Khan(PES), 6-1 6-2, M.Huzaifa Khan beat Waqar Ahmad 6-0 6-0, Muzammil Murtaza beat Saifullah Khan 6-1 6-1, Muhammad Ali beat Gibran-ul-Haq 6-3 6-3, Ahmad Nael Qureshi beat Kamran Khan 6-0 6-1, Muhammad Salar beat Kashan Tariq 6-0 6-1, Aqeel Khan beat M.Umer Javed 6-0 6-1.

Ladies Singles (1st Round)

Lalarukh Sajid beat Maria Rasheed 6-0, 6-1, Mehaq Khokhar beat Sofia Tariq 6-1 6-0, Zunaisha Noor beat Shandana Rabbi 6-0, 6 -1, Noor Malik W/O Maida Awais, Maryam Hussain W/O Ayma Rehman.

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