‘We just could not hold our nerves’
Aisam rues quarter-final loss, looks forward to Wimbledon.
KARACHI:
Nerves, not fatigue or talent, caused the Indo-Pak Express to crash out of the French Open earlier this week, losing a closely-contested quarter-final against the top-seeds.
Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Indian doubles partner Rohan Bopanna lost to world number one Bryan bothers 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in a match spread over two days. But defeat, according to Aisam, taught him a lesson and issued a reminder that he needs to improve on clay which, for him, is the most challenging surface.
“Looking back at the quarter-final, we should’ve done a few things differently,” Qureshi told The Express Tribune. “Clay is not our favourite surface but we got used to it this year and if we look at our performances in the first three rounds, we won our matches convincingly.
“I feel that we broke down in the middle after winning the first set. And by the time we got our focus back, it was too late. We missed a few crucial points and that proved our downfall. I wish we were mentally stronger than them. We defeated them last year so it’s not like we are less capable than them.”
The quarter-final exit was Aisam’s best performce on clay so far: He managed to reach the second round with Bopanna at Roland Garros last year and picking up from there, Aisam remained content with his performance on clay.
The pair outplayed Italy’s Andreas Seppi and Simon Vagnozzi in a first-round demolition, won a three-set match against Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the second. Another straight-sets win over Andrey Golubev and Denis Istomin booked their last-eight match-up against Bob and Mike Bryan, the pair who beat the subcontinent duo in the US Open final last year.
Confidence boost before Wimbledon
However, the 31-year-old said that he has only positive things to take from the French Open as he launches his preparation for Wimbledon that starts from June 20.
“We’re taking one step at a time. We will do better at the French Open next year. However, climbing two places in the ATP doubles rankings before Wimbledon is a huge achievement.
“It has given us more confidence which we badly needed.”
The duo will now practice in Germany on grass courts for a week before flying to England for Wimbledon where Aisam will participate in men’s doubles with Bopanna and Kveta Peschke in the mixed doubles events.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2011.
Nerves, not fatigue or talent, caused the Indo-Pak Express to crash out of the French Open earlier this week, losing a closely-contested quarter-final against the top-seeds.
Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Indian doubles partner Rohan Bopanna lost to world number one Bryan bothers 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in a match spread over two days. But defeat, according to Aisam, taught him a lesson and issued a reminder that he needs to improve on clay which, for him, is the most challenging surface.
“Looking back at the quarter-final, we should’ve done a few things differently,” Qureshi told The Express Tribune. “Clay is not our favourite surface but we got used to it this year and if we look at our performances in the first three rounds, we won our matches convincingly.
“I feel that we broke down in the middle after winning the first set. And by the time we got our focus back, it was too late. We missed a few crucial points and that proved our downfall. I wish we were mentally stronger than them. We defeated them last year so it’s not like we are less capable than them.”
The quarter-final exit was Aisam’s best performce on clay so far: He managed to reach the second round with Bopanna at Roland Garros last year and picking up from there, Aisam remained content with his performance on clay.
The pair outplayed Italy’s Andreas Seppi and Simon Vagnozzi in a first-round demolition, won a three-set match against Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez and Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the second. Another straight-sets win over Andrey Golubev and Denis Istomin booked their last-eight match-up against Bob and Mike Bryan, the pair who beat the subcontinent duo in the US Open final last year.
Confidence boost before Wimbledon
However, the 31-year-old said that he has only positive things to take from the French Open as he launches his preparation for Wimbledon that starts from June 20.
“We’re taking one step at a time. We will do better at the French Open next year. However, climbing two places in the ATP doubles rankings before Wimbledon is a huge achievement.
“It has given us more confidence which we badly needed.”
The duo will now practice in Germany on grass courts for a week before flying to England for Wimbledon where Aisam will participate in men’s doubles with Bopanna and Kveta Peschke in the mixed doubles events.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2011.