Bopanna and Aisam, better known as the ‘Indo-Pak Express’, will team up again in the doubles circuit next year. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi is aiming to win at least three major tournaments this year – including the men’s doubles final at the Stockholm Open that will be played today – before parting ways with his current Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer.
Aisam confirmed yesterday that he will reunite with India’s Rohan Bopanna in January with whom he parted ways two years ago. However, he first wants to finish the current year on a high note by playing at the London Masters among the top eight doubles teams in the world.
Aisam said that winning the Stockholm Open title will help the him to perform better in the Basil Open and then in Paris in the coming weeks.
“At this point, every match is important and I’m very excited about our final in Stockholm,” Aisam told The Express Tribune. “We are ranked seventh in the ATP doubles team standings and I’m on the 15th position in individual rankings so I have a good shot at improving and playing at the London Masters.
“It’s an important tournament because Rojer and I have a good record here. Originally I had planned to take a break this week and wanted to spend time at home. However, I felt it wouldn’t have been fair to my partner and our coach. We work together throughout the year to improve and we wouldn’t want to miss out on any opportunity.”
The Pak-Dutch pair will play the final as the top seeds in Stockholm after receiving a walkover in the semi-final against the Spanish duo of Fernando Verdasco and David Marrero.
Meanwhile, Aisam said that the decision to play with Bopanna was only taken after a detailed discussion.
“Bopanna had told me that he wanted to play with me earlier this year, but since that wasn’t possible for me at the time, we’ve decided to play next year. It’s going to be interesting as both of us have matured as players in the last two years even though we played separately.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2013.
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