Daily Times

Pakistan secured the bronze medal at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Masters 45+ World Championship after defeating Germany 2-1, the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) announced on Sunday.

The tournament in Manavgat, Turkiye, saw 21 nations compete in the men’s team event under the 45+ age category, known as the Dubler Cup.

Pakistan’s team, led by captain Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and featuring Aqeel Khan and Shehryar Salamat, made an impressive start on their debut in the prestigious competition, sweeping past Romania and Turkiye with 3-0 victories in the group stage.

The national team defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in the quarterfinals to make it to the semifinals. However, they narrowly lost to France 2-1 in a tightly contested semifinal, with Aqeel Khan securing a hard-fought singles victory before Pakistan fell short in the doubles match.

In the third-place playoff, Pakistan beat Germany 2-1 to earn the bronze medal. Qureshi retired from his singles match, but Khan delivered a dominant win to level the tie. The experienced duo then teamed up to secure the decisive doubles match.

The PTF added that Pakistani players will now compete in the individual categories in the second week of the championship.

Earlier this month, Pakistan’s wheelchair tennis team also secured a bronze medal at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup Wheelchair Tennis Asian Qualification Event, beating Iran 2-1. The doubles decider saw Asif and Fida claim a 6-4, 6-4 victory to seal the win.