KARACHI: Pakistan’s under-12 boys’ tennis team stormed into the final of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) South Asia Championship with a dominant 2-0 victory over arch-rivals India in the semifinals on Thursday.
The young Pakistani squad outclassed their opponents in straight sets, with Rashid Ali defeating B.C. Thanush Shekar 6-2, 6-3, while Muhammad Shayan Afridi overpowered Khatri Nayan 6-0, 6-1.
The win sets up a title clash against hosts Sri Lanka on Friday.
Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi hailed the victory as a proud moment.
“Beating our arch-rival India in the semifinal is a tremendous achievement,” Aisam ul Haq said. “Hopefully, tomorrow we will defeat Sri Lanka and lift the championship.”
He contrasted the result with last week’s narrow loss by Pakistan’s under-16 Davis Cup juniors against India in Kazakhstan, calling this performance sheer dominance.
PTF Secretary General Col Zia-ud-Din Tufail praised the team’s flawless run, saying their performance had been “simply amazing.”
Pakistan had earlier swept the group stage, blanking the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Nepal 3-0 each.
