LAHORE - Zohaib Afzal Malik (of SA Group) has reached the singles semifinals and doubles final of the 6th leg ATF Aslomudin Open U14 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. In a very tough match of singles quarterfinals, Zohaib kept his nerves and beat his opponent Arafat Mustafa 7-5, 6-0. In the first set, both the players held their respective serves, but Zohaib managed to break and went up 5-4, but then his opponent Arafat broke the serve of Zohaib, who managed to break another serve and held his serve to win the first set 7-5. Zohaib fully dominated the second set and won it convincingly by 6-0 to earn a place in the semifinals. In the doubles semifinals, Zohaib, partnering with Imran Ahundov, outpaced Ramazoni Ismoilov and Shokhruh Negmatov 6-2, 6-1. Talking to The Nation from Dushanbe, Zohaib said: “I am determined to finish the last and 6th consecutive ATF event on a high note. I have worked very hard during the off days and I am keen to hold aloft Pakistani flag in Tajikistan. I want to dedicate my victory to my mother, who has spent all these weeks with me as she is my coach, mentor and above all the biggest motivators. I am also grateful to my grand Nana, Nanu and Dadu, with whose prayers I made it this far.”
Zohaib breezes into ATF U14 singles semis, doubles final in Dushanbe