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TOP seed and Pakistan number one Aqeel Khan defeated Antonio Catito 6-2, 6-2 in the Super Singles final of the GPIC-sponsored 21st President of Goys Tennis Championships which concluded on Sunday at the Bahrain Tennis Club (BTC) premises in Juffair.
The 28-year-old Khan from Karachi took less than an hour to clinch the title worth $1,000 in prize money, while 34-year-old BTC coach Antonio Catito picked up a pay cheque for $500 as runner-up.
Khan, who stood at least three inches taller than his opponent, played very strong baseline returns and served up a number of aces early on for a 3-0 lead.
Catito held serve in the next game after it had gone to deuce and seemed to be coming back into contention as the next two games also went to deuce.
A poor service game by Catito, trailing 5-2, allowed Khan his second break to clinch the set 6-2.
The second set followed exactly the same scoring pattern as the first with Khan going 3-1 ahead and earning a second break to clinch the set, 6-2 – and the match.
Khan looked the fresher and fitter of the two players and was really troubled apart from a slight lapse in concentration towards the end of the second set.
“I enjoyed playing on this surface and was very happy with my serving and return shots throughout the championship,” said Khan, ranked 28th in the Asian Tennis Federation and 519th on the ATP list.
“Aqeel was a very good opponent and was a powerful server. I am happy with my performance and pleased as an unseeded player to have reached the final,” said Catito.
Worth a total 2,500 in prize money, the semi-finalists each received $300 and the quarter-finalists $100 each.
Attending the prize distribution after the final were director of planning and follow-up at Goys, Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa, president of the Bahrain Tennis Federation, Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, GPIC general manager Abdul Rahman Jawahery, Algerian ambassador Ahmed Bouziane, US Ambassador William Monroe and BTC president Khamis Muqla and other guests.
