ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) was dealt a severe blow on Wednesday after it’s only flag-bearer in the quarterfinal crashed out from the ITF Junior tennis tournament, a category IV event that was supposed to be a platform for the home players to shine.

Omer Babar, who had made it to the quarterfinals after knocking out two of his compatriots on his way, failed in what was his first real test as he came up against India’s Anshuman Ditta at the Islamabad Club.

The Pakistani, like almost all of his country-fellows in the tournament who had lost tamely in Tuesday’s pre-quarters to Indian players, fell 0-6, 3-6 to Ditta.

The semifinal line-up featuring all Indian players should be food for thought for the PTF that claims to have done aplenty for the juniors but clearly appears to have achieved little.

Apart from Ditta, others to have made the last four grade are Sumit Prakash Gupta, Aswin Vijayaragayan and Kninshuyk Sharma who will be fighting it out on Thursday while the Pakistanis will be among the spectators.

Gupta comfortably beat team-mate Rubal Shandilya 6-0, 6-3 in the first quarterfinal while unseeded Vijayaragayan upset fifth seed Gursher Harika 6-2, 6-0. Then as Omer was blown off court, Sharma handed Siddharat Hande a 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

But for the hosts, the agony was not just confined to the boys’ singles as the Indians also dominated the boys’ doubles with three of the semifinal places being won by them. Interestingly, their victims were all Pakistanis.

The team of Sumit Prakash Gupta and Anshuman Ditta routed M. Ahmed Aslam and Danish Ahmed 6-1, 6-4 and Pulkit Mishra along with Rubl Shandilya brought down Omer Babar and Khurrum Nazir 6- 1, 7-6(5).

There was no stopping the Indians as Aswin Vijayaragayan and Siddharth Hande edged Yasir Khan and Tanveer Ashiq 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 a match that provided the only bright spark for the hosts in that their duo was able to clinch a set on an otherwise miserable day.

The last semifinal spot was claimed by Thailand’s Khunpol Issara and Indian Kinshuk Sharma who registered a straightforward 6-1, 6-1 victory over the Indian pair of Rahul Belwal and Honey Rana.

The girls’ singles quarterfinals had no Pakistani and two of the semifinal places were taken up by Karina Ahuja and Tejaswini Datla, both Indians. The other berths went to Jawairiah Noordin of Malaysia and Thailand’s Satjaporn Mahajaroenkul.

India’s domination of this first leg of the tournament also stretched to the girls’ doubles where Karina Ahuja and Tejaswini Datla qualified for the final with a 7-5, 6-2 defeat of Thailand’s Satjaporn Mahajaroenkul and Parariyawat.

The other pair that went through was Inayat Khosla of India and Malaysian Jawairiah Noordin who hammered Indians Nehaa Rana and Mythri Prerana Appineni 6-1, 6-0.

Results

Boys singles quarterfinals: Sumit Prakash Gupta (Ind) bt Rubal Shandilya (Ind) 6-0, 6-3; Aswin Vijayaragayan (Ind) bt Gursher Harika (Ind) 6-2, 6-0; Anshuman Ditta (Ind) bt Omer Babar 6-0, 6-3; Kinshuk Sharma (Ind) bt Siddharth Hande 6-3, 6-4.

Boys doubles quarterfinals: Sumit Prakash Gupta-Anshuman Ditta (Ind) bt Ahmed Aslam-Danish Ahmed (Pak) 6-1, 6-4; Pulkit Mishra- Rubl Shandilya (Ind) bt Omer Babar-Khurrum Nazir (Pak) 6-1, 7-6 (5); Aswin Vijayaragayan-Siddharth Hande (INd) bt Yasir Khan-Tanveer Ashiq 5-7, 6-1, 6-3; Khunpol Issara (Tha)-Kinshuk Sharma (Ind) bt Rahul Belwal-Honey Rana (Ind) 6-1, 6-1.

Girls singles quarterfinals: Karina Ahuja (Ind) bt Inyat Khosla (Ind) 6-0, 6-3; Satjaporn Mahajaroenkul (Tha) bt Prerana Appineni (Ind) 6-1, 6-1; Jawairiah Noordin (Mal) Prariyawat Ratanakrong (Tha) 6-3, 6-1; Tejaswini Datla (Ind) bt Sanjana Kapur 6-3, 6-2.

Girls doubles semifinals: Karina Ahuja-Tejaswini Datla (Ind) bt Satjaporn Mahajaroenkul-Prariyawat Ratanakrong (Tha) 7-5, 6-2; Inyat Khosla (Ind)-Jawairiah Noordin (Mas) bt Neha Rana-Mythri Prerana Appineni (Ind) 6-1, 6-0.