Aisam enjoying Rhode to glory

Tennis star wants to move further up rankings, says he is far from finished

KARACHI: Aisamul Haq Qureshi clinched the Hall of Fame Tennis Championship doubles title with Rajeev Ram in Rhode Island on Sunday — his fifth title of the year — but added that he is 'not done yet'.

Aisam paired up with Ram — who is a US ATP player for the tournament — and the partnership pulled off arguably their biggest win against third seeds India's tennis veteran Leander Paes and partner Sam Groth in the semi-finals 4-6, 7-6, 11-9 before going on to take the ATP 250 event title.

In the final they came up against the unseeded Australian pair of Matt Reid and John-Patrick Smith in what turned out to be a thrilling encounter.

Aisam and Rajeev built on their confidence as the top seeds and took the first set 6-4. But the Australians were not willing to lie down, and came back strongly in the second set, claiming it 4-6, to take the game into the final set.

An even contest eventually went into a super tie-break, which Aisam and Ram won 10-7 after 75 minutes of exhilarating tennis.

For Aisam, the win further highlights the progress he has made recently as he eyes a further push up the ATP rankings, where he currently occupies the 29^th spot in the individual doubles ladder.

"The tournament felt good, I'm really happy with it," Aisam told The Express Tribune. "I'm happy to get my fifth title of the year and am slowly getting back up the rankings. My hard work and positive mindset are really paying off. I just have to keep building on this and get more laurels for my country and family."

Aisam has been written off by many in recent years, especially considering he is now 37, and Pakistan’s finest tennis player reiterated that this was his way of replying to his naysayers. “This should send a loud and clear message to me critics that I am not done yet, since I have proven them wrong again.”

The 37-year-old has had a much better run this year compared to the last one; in which he won just the one title in Irving.

The last ATP event he won was last month with Robert Lindstedt in Antalya, Turkey.

Aisam also paid tribute to his close friend Ram, saying that playing this one-off event with him will always be a special memory for him.

"The tournament felt really good," said Aisam."I have known Ram for a very long time. He is a really good friend of mine and to win this title with him feels special. Ram is a great player and he is especially good on grass. I had a great time with him on the court."

Aisam now turns his attentions to the Atlanta Open ATP 250, where he will be partnering with Thailand's Sonchat Ratiwatana this week.

"I'll be playing with Ratiwatana in the Atlanta Open, which will be a good opportunity for me to get ready for the hard-court season," said Aisam.

The duo will be playing their first match against American pair Donald Young and Nicholas Monroe, who are seeded third for the Atlanta Open in the round of 16 on July 24.