ISLAMABAD: Two young Pakistani tennis players Mohammad Shoaib and Yousaf Khan Khalil made it to the main round of the Serena Future International I for the very first time as 11 locals and 21 foreign players would start quest for honour and cash here at the Dilawar Abbbas Complex from today (Monday). Shoaib and Yousaf — both students of the National Tennis Academy (NTA) — won their last qualifying round matches easily. Shoaib is now pitted against Mohammad Abid in the first round while in another all Pakistan affair match on the opening day of competition would see Samir Iftikhar playing against Usman Rafique. Samir has been given wild card by the organisers. Pakistan No 1 Aqeel Khan — who has also been given wild card — however faces a tough task as he will play against No 4 seed Pere Riba (Spain) in the first outing. Top seed Russian Ivan Nedelko will be seen in action against Pakistani qualifier Shahzad Khan. Some high quality tennis was witnessed by tennis fans of the twin cities as well as the top management of the PTF. Seven Pakistanis and one Ukrainian player qualified for the main draw of the event. Results (qualifying round): Shahzad Khan (Pak) bt Abdaal Haider (Pak) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Muhammad Shoaib (Pak) bt Ali Sahibzada (Pak) 6-1, 6-3; Yousaf Khalil (Pak) bt Faizan Khurram (Pak) 6-0, 3-2 (retired); Mudassir Murtaza (Pak) bt Asad Mahmood Khan (Pak) 6-1, 6-2; Gleb Alekseenko (Ukrain) bt Yasir Khan (Pak) 6-4, 6-3; Ahmed Chaudhry (Pak) bt Aman Attique Khan (Pak) 2-6, 6-2, 6-1; Usman Rafique (Pak) bt Saqib Hayat (Pak) 6-7(2), 6-0, 6-1; Malik Abdul Rehman (Pak) bt Muhammad Wagas Malik (Canada) 6-4, 6-4.
