Aqeel clinches inaugural Master’s Cup title

Pakistan number two tennis player beats Yasir in final.

KARACHI: Aqeel Khan defeated his younger brother and Pakistan number two Yasir Khan 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to clinch the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Master’s Cup 2013 title in Islamabad yesterday.

Aqeel took the first set with ease 6-2 before conceding the second set to Yasir 4-6. However, Pakistan’s number one player proved to be too good for Yasir as he wrapped up the match in the third set 6-2 to seal the victory.

With the win, Aqeel bagged Rs 25,000 while Yasir took away Rs 12000.

Aqeel, who remained undefeated in the tournament, lauded the efforts of the PTF in organising the Master’s Cup that could benefit the sport’s youngsters in the country.

“It’s a very good effort by the federation,” Aqeel told The Express Tribune. “This was the first decent tournament in terms of the quality. We’ve had the National Games and the Pakistan Premier League but playing among the best players here was a different experience. The previous tournaments were team-based. We’re hoping that the standard of tennis will improve next year. The federation is experimenting with different ideas so it’s a positive step.”

He added that the idea of holding a Master’s Cup with the top eight players is a good one, however, the federation needs more funds to make it attractive for the local players.



“The federation would need to get more sponsors to make it financially more attractive for the players,” he said.

Meanwhile, Aqeel, Yasir and Mohammad Abid will start training at the national camp with coach Khalid Mehmood in Lahore for the Davis Cup tie against Sri Lanka on February 1. Aqeel said that he hopes Aisamul Haq Qureshi can join the team by January 27 as the players will get enough time to practise together before the tie.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2013.