Indo-Pak Express takes a break

Aisam, Bopanna to work with different partners till the Olympics.

KARACHI:

The Indo-Pak partnership of Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna will not be seen on the tennis courts till at least the London Olympics as the duo strives towards confirming their place in the global event next year.

Aisam will pair up with Jean-Julien Rojer for the Australian Open after Bopanna decided to partner with either Mahesh Bhupatti or Leander Paes ahead of the Olympics. The Indo-Pak Express last played together in London where they lost all three World Tour Finals matches.

Aisam had a successful year as he won three ATP titles – including a Thailand Open triumph with Austria’s Oliver Marach – and improved his individual, as well as team, rankings.

“I’ll be starting the new partnership next year and I am excited about that,” Aisam told The Express Tribune. “Rojer is in the top 20 so I am confident that we can make a good team.

“I completely respect Bopanna’s decision to change partners. He has a good chance at doing well in the Olympics so he will practice with those two until then.

“I will concentrate on maintaining my rankings to qualify for the Olympics so that I can also take another Pakistani with me to the grand event.”

According to Aisam, he believes that the change will be good for his career, having known Rojer for the last 10 years.

The Pakistani ace also looked ahead to the new year and the challenges he faced and confirmed that the Indo-Pak Express would be back in action after the Olympics.

“I’m not giving up until I become the world number one. I am all for change and I am going to make it work for me.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2011.