The Flairtravel ITF Men’s Futures M-15 (Leg-1) tournament kicked off here at the PTF Tennis Complex on Sunday.
This tournament is being organized in the memory of Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmad, a respected former tennis player of the subcontinent, in recognition of his valuable contributions to the sport and his lasting legacy in regional tennis history. A total of 70 men’s players from 23 countries are participating in this prestigious international event. The participating nations include Pakistan, Kuwait, Russia, Uzbekistan, Sweden, Austria, Malaysia, Great Britain, Italy, Lithuania, China, Turkey, Algeria, Canada, USA, Ireland, Poland, Hong Kong, Nepal, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Japan.
Top seed of the tournament is Leo Borg of Sweden, currently ranked ATP 483, while the second seed is Samir Hamza Reguig of Algeria, holding an ATP ranking of 844.
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), stated that hosting back-to-back ITF Pro Tour tournaments in Islamabad is a remarkable achievement for Pakistan and reflects the Federation’s strong commitment to promoting international tennis. He warmly welcomed all visiting players, officials, and support staff, assuring them of world-class facilities and outstanding hospitality throughout the event. He further emphasized that the participation of athletes from more than 20 countries highlights Pakistan’s growing reputation as a reliable and respected host on the international tennis circuit.
He also added that the tournament is being organized in memory of his grandfather, Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmad, a legendary figure in subcontinental tennis. He described the event as a meaningful tribute to his grandfather’s legacy, noting that it holds special emotional significance for him and his family.
Col. Zia-ud-din Tufail, Secretary General of the PTF, along with the PTF management, expressed appreciation for the impressive international participation, noting that it demonstrates the global tennis community’s confidence in Pakistan. He extended his best wishes to all players for a highly competitive, successful, and memorable tournament. The qualifying matches have started today, while the main draw matches are scheduled to begin on April 28
Men’s Singles Qualifying 1st Round: Yousaf Haleem(PAK) beat Ali Zafar (PAK) 7-5,6-0; Fedor Dorokhov (RUS) beat Mazhar Go Nakamichi (JPN) 7-6(5), 6-7(5)10-7; M.Talha Khan (PAK) beat Inam Qadir (PAK) 6-0,6-3; Hamza Roman (PAK) beat Ahmar Saeed (PAK) 6-0,6-0; Artem Bukin (RUS) beat ILyos Abrorov (UZB) 6-3,6-3; Abishek Bastola (NEP) beat Adnan Rashid Khan (PAK) 6-0,1-0 (retd); M.Abid Ali Akbar Khan (PAK) beat Yi Yuan (HKG) 6-0,6-0.
Men’s Singles Qualifying 2nd Round: Ivan Iutkin (RUS) beat Sameer Ahmed (PAK) 6-1,6-2; M.Abid Ali Akbar Khan (PAK) beat Tugra Duran(TUR) 6-1,6-4; Adam Farag Cao (CAN) beat Yousaf Haleem (PAK) 6-0,6-2; Arkhip Kozlov (RUS) beat Heran Zhang(CHN) 7-5,6-3;Ahmed Nael Qureshi (PAK) Shawal Azeem (PAK) 6-1,6-0; Xiuyuan Guo (CHN) beat Mustansir Ali Khan (PAK) 6-0,6-3; Egor Khotchenkov (RUS) beat Hamza Roman (PAK) 2-6,6-2(10-8) ; Adam Bajurko (POL) beat Zachary Mintz(USA) 6-1,6-0.