KARACHI, Sept 21: Describing his seven-week Indian tour as ‘satisfactory’, the country’s ace tennis player Aqeel Khan said his performance improved with every tournament and culminated on a highly impressive note when he played the ITF Futures final in Delhi.

“I adjusted to the playing conditions slowly and gradually and rounded-off the trip losing to a German opponent Peter 2-6, 6-7 in the title battle of the second ITF Futures at Delhi’s R.K. Khanna stadium,” he told Dawn on Sunday.

Aqeel also featured in the doubles at the same venue along with Indian Rupesh and the duo could not go beyond the first round.

Earlier, in the first Futures played on clay courts at Chennai, Aqeel went down in the second round of the singles while in the doubles pairing with Indian Jeewan the pair made exit in the semi-final.

Pakistan’s top tennis player had a dismal run in the two ITF Challengers played on hard courts in Delhi losing in the first qualifier in the opener and the first round in the next.

During the break, he had the opportunity to undergo a fortnight of strenuous training at Harvest Training Academy at Jasuwal, Ludhiana.

His sibling Yasir who joined him in mid August competed in the two Futures, losing in the first round at Chennai and second round at Delhi.

He said Yasir was practicing in Ludhiana and was due to arrive here on Tuesday.

Aqeel, 28, disclosed he had won two Futures at Hyderabad and Ludhiana and a Satellite at Delhi in the past.

A regular visitor to India, Aqeel said his current visit was materialised through private sponsorship.

Opinion

Editorial

General malfeasance
Updated 12 Dec, 2024

General malfeasance

Will Gen Faiz Hameed's trial prove to be a long overdue comeuppance or just another smokescreen?
Electricity rates
12 Dec, 2024

Electricity rates

THE government is renegotiating power purchase agreements with private power producers to slash their capacity...
Aggression in Syria
12 Dec, 2024

Aggression in Syria

TAKING advantage of the chaos in post-Assad Syria, Israel has proceeded to grab more of the Arab state’s land,...
Madressah politics
Updated 11 Dec, 2024

Madressah politics

The curriculum taught must be free of hate and prejudice, while madressah students need to be taught life skills to later contribute to economy.
Targeting travellers
11 Dec, 2024

Targeting travellers

THE country’s top tax authority seems to have run out of good ideas. According to news reports, the Federal Board...
Grieving elephants
11 Dec, 2024

Grieving elephants

FOR most, the news will perhaps not even register. Another elephant has died in captivity in Pakistan. The death is...