Federer records comfortable win

Aisam and Dutch partner lose opening doubles match at Indian Wells.

KARACHI:

Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi’s chances of making it to this year’s London Olympics got a serious hit as he and Dutch partner Rojer Jean-Julien crashed out in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open men’s doubles event at the Indian Wells.

The unseeded pair of Aisam and Rojer lost to Austria’s Oliver Marrach and Alexander Peya 6-4, 1-6, 10-6  as the duo suffered its second successive first-round exit in a month.

Aisam, who is vying to become the first Pakistan player to represent the country at the Olympics and needs to be among the top 10 players in the world till the May 1 cut-off, slipped to 11th in the men’s individual doubles rankings and the defeat at the Indian Wells is likely to push him down further.

However, Aisam, who finished at number eight last year and also played at the London Masters along with India’s Rohan Bopanna as the world’s number five doubles team at the ATP tour, was confident of retaining his top-10 spot.

“I still have time,” Aisam told The Express Tribune. “Playing at the Olympics is still an achievable dream and I’m hopeful of making the cut since I have two more tournaments.”

The Pakistan player, who is likely to play with countryman Aqeel Khan at the London event, added that it will take him time to form a winning combination with Rojer. “Forming a winning combination takes time and both of us need that,” said Aisam. “I am committed to play with Julien this year and I’m not thinking about another partner.”

Federer, Nadal advance

Meanwhile, former winners Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal breezed through with straight-set wins in the men’s singles event at the Indian Wells.

In the women’s singles draw, reigning Wimbledon champion and Petra Kvitova was knocked out early when 19-year-old American Christina McHale fought back to beat the Czech in three sets.

Third-seed Federer defeated wild card Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-1 in a second-round night match on centre court.

Federer advances to the third round where he will face hard-serving Canadian Milos Raonic.

“I am looking forward to that match,” said Federer. “He’s a good player and up and coming. Sometimes it can help and sometimes it cannot to have never played a guy before.”

Nadal, a two-time Indian Wells champ, routed Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-3.

“I’m happy to start with a win,” said Nadal. “It’s not easy to be back after a while without competition. I started the match very focused and  aggressive.”

Nadal advanced to the third round, where he will face fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers, who beat Tommy Haas of Germany 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

On the women’s side, McHale upset Czech Kvitova in three sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Top-seed Victoria Azarenka beat two-time grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-2 and will now face Julia Goerges. (With additional input from afp)

Rafael Nadal

“It’s not easy to be back after a while without competition, but I believe I did really well. I started the match very focussed, very aggressive. The only thing I can say is I’m very happy about almost everything.”

Christina McHale

“Kvitova played one service game where she gave me a couple of loose errors and after that I just kind of kept hanging in there, and then I got more and more comfortable as the match progressed.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2012.