Unseeded Usmani-Asim stun top seeds to lift ITF J-60 title; Russian pair takes girls' crown
Unseeded Usmani-Asim stun top seeds to lift ITF J-60 title; Russian pair takes girls' crown
ISLAMABAD: By Nawaz Gohar ; In a captivating display of grit and court coverage, the unseeded Pakistani duo of Muhammad Hassan Usmani and Muhammad Haziq Asim staged a major upset to capture the Boys’ Doubles title at the J-60 Bard Foundation Junior World Tennis Championships on Sunday.
The week-long international spectacle concluded at the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Tennis Complex, showcasing 58 emerging junior stars—36 boys and 22 girls—representing 14 nations including Russia, Spain, Canada, Australia, Sweden, China, and host nation Pakistan.
The Boys’ Doubles showpiece proved to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Usmani and Asim took command early against top seeds Hamza Roman and Ahtesham Humayun, breaking serve decisively to sweep the opening set 6-2. Although the top-seeded pair mounted a resilient comeback to level the contest by taking the second set 4-6, Usmani and Asim held their nerve in the high-pressure match tie-break, closing out a memorable 6-2, 4-6 [10-6] victory.
In the Girls’ Doubles final, the Russian tandem of Varvara Rubtsova and Evelina Dzepa demonstrated tactical discipline to overcome China’s Meimei Hu and Yijia Wang. After storming through the opening set without dropping a game, the Russian duo weathered a second-set surge from their opponents before regaining complete composure in the decider to seal the title 6-0, 2-6 [10-5].
The championship was sponsored by the Bard Foundation, reflecting its continued commitment to advancing grassroots tennis in Pakistan by offering local athletes direct access to international ranking points.
Ms. Amina Rehman, Executive Director of the Bard Foundation, graced the grand finale as Chief Guest alongside Guest of Honour Tufail Cheema, Secretary-General of the Islamabad Tennis Association. PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and PTF Secretary General Col. Zia-ud-Din Tufail presented the trophies to the finalists during a vibrant closing ceremony attended by diplomats, coaches, and tennis fans.
Commending the young champions, PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi highlighted the strategic importance of hosting continuous international circuits on home soil.
"Hosting top-tier ITF junior events in Pakistan gives our young athletes the vital international exposure required to compete at the highest level," Qureshi stated. "We extend our sincere gratitude to the Bard Foundation for their unwavering partnership in driving the growth of junior tennis across the nation."
The international momentum in the capital shows no signs of slowing down. Following the conclusion of the J-60 event, the main draw of the J-30 PPL Pakistan World Junior Tennis Tournament kicks off on Monday at the same venue, continuing Islamabad's rich stretch of international tennis fixtures.
