Easy for Pak ace Qureshi

He made his intentions clear in Minar’s first service game, whacking a forehand winner down the line, and volleying the rest of the points his way as he got an early break, and there was no looking back after that. He stuck to his natural aggressive game throughout this clash, and Minar could find no way through. He served to stay in the first set at 2-5, but it was Qureshi who wrapped it up, 6-2.

He continued from where he had left off as the second set got underway—advancing to the net every opportunity he got, and several times Minar was left stranded as winners flew past.

Qureshi got the break in the fourth game of this set, a backhand winner down the line bringing up break point. Once again, Minar served to stay in the set, and the match, at 2-5, and though he was successful this time, the 27-year-old from Lahore finished it off, 6-2, 6-3.

Qureshi’s volleying skills were again in evidence as he and Rohan Bopanna reached the doubles final after defeating Benjamin Ballaret and Sebastien de Chanauc of France 7-6 (10), 7-6 (4). In the final, they will face top seeds Wesley Moodie and Rik de Voest of South Africa.

Moodie and Stephen Huss of Australia had beaten the Indo-Pak duo in the final of last week’s Challenger in Kuala Lumpur.

Seventh seed Moodie failed to survive a comeback from Korean Jae-Sung An, who had an easy passage into the quarter finals when second seeded Russian Igor Kunitsyn pulled out. He lost this clash 6-3, 4-6, 4-6.