French Open: Aisam, Bopanna roll on
Indo-Pak Express through to quarter-finals, face top-seeds.
PARIS:
Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and doubles partner Rohan Bopanna of India made their way into the French Open quarter-finals after defeating Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin and Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-5 in the third round.
The Indo-Pak Express, seeded fifth, conceded just one double fault and took just 69 minutes to cruise past the pair and set up a clash against top-seeds and Bryan brothers Mike and Bob.
Mirza through to doubles semis
India’s Sania Mirza and her Russian partner Elena Vesnina entered the doubles semi-finals after a 6-0, 7-5 win against Argentine Gisela Dulko and Italy’s Flavia Pennetta. The seventh-seeded pair defeated the top-seeds in just 68 minutes.
Nadal in last-eight
Five-time champion Rafael Nadal reached the singles quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 win over Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic.
It was another low-key display by the top-seeded Spaniard against the veteran Ljubicic before he took his Paris record to 42 wins and just one loss. Nadal, bidding for a sixth French Open title to take him level with Bjorn Borg’s record, has looked a shadow of his usual powerful self in Paris, shaken by the super-charged form of Novak Djokovic.
The second-seeded Serb snatched his Madrid and Rome Masters claycourt titles in the run-up to Paris, and the pressure appears to be telling.
“There was a lot of wind which made it very awkward,” said Nadal. “I played better in the last two sets and I am getting a little better as the tournament goes on.”
Djokovic walks into semis
Second-seed Novak Djokovic was handed a place in the semi-finals when scheduled last-eight opponent Fabio Fognini was forced out with a torn left thigh muscle.
A walkover is not counted as a victory, so Djokovic will have to wait until the semi-final to try and equal John McEnroe’s 1984 mark of a 42-match winning start to the season.
Meanwhile, sixth-seed Li Na became the first Chinese player to reach the French Open quarter-finals with a disjointed 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 defeat over her 21-year-old Czech ninth-seed opponent Petra Kvitova.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2011.
Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and doubles partner Rohan Bopanna of India made their way into the French Open quarter-finals after defeating Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin and Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-5 in the third round.
The Indo-Pak Express, seeded fifth, conceded just one double fault and took just 69 minutes to cruise past the pair and set up a clash against top-seeds and Bryan brothers Mike and Bob.
Mirza through to doubles semis
India’s Sania Mirza and her Russian partner Elena Vesnina entered the doubles semi-finals after a 6-0, 7-5 win against Argentine Gisela Dulko and Italy’s Flavia Pennetta. The seventh-seeded pair defeated the top-seeds in just 68 minutes.
Nadal in last-eight
Five-time champion Rafael Nadal reached the singles quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 win over Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic.
It was another low-key display by the top-seeded Spaniard against the veteran Ljubicic before he took his Paris record to 42 wins and just one loss. Nadal, bidding for a sixth French Open title to take him level with Bjorn Borg’s record, has looked a shadow of his usual powerful self in Paris, shaken by the super-charged form of Novak Djokovic.
The second-seeded Serb snatched his Madrid and Rome Masters claycourt titles in the run-up to Paris, and the pressure appears to be telling.
“There was a lot of wind which made it very awkward,” said Nadal. “I played better in the last two sets and I am getting a little better as the tournament goes on.”
Djokovic walks into semis
Second-seed Novak Djokovic was handed a place in the semi-finals when scheduled last-eight opponent Fabio Fognini was forced out with a torn left thigh muscle.
A walkover is not counted as a victory, so Djokovic will have to wait until the semi-final to try and equal John McEnroe’s 1984 mark of a 42-match winning start to the season.
Meanwhile, sixth-seed Li Na became the first Chinese player to reach the French Open quarter-finals with a disjointed 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 defeat over her 21-year-old Czech ninth-seed opponent Petra Kvitova.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2011.