Aqeel’s doubles misery continues

Pakistan tennis player loses in Bahrain, continues search for rankings points.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s number one singles player Aqeel Khan and his Russian partner Alexie Filienkov crashed out of the doubles event of the Bahrain Futures Tennis Tournament after losing to Spain’s Gerard Gallego-Bertran and Jordi Samper-Montana 6-2, 7-6.

Aqeel, who has been taking part in various International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures events in the UAE and Bahrain, is seeking at least 300 points in order to be eligible to partner Aisamul Haq Qureshi at the London Olmypics providing Aisam gets back into the top-10 by May.

Aqeel, however, has been struggling in all the events he has taken part in and will continue the search of points in the singles event of the same tournament where he will take on Britain’s Martin Short. He lost in the second round of the singles event in the UAE but managed to reach the quarter-finals of the doubles event. However, the latest setback significantly reduces his chances of qualification with Aqeel required to return to Islamabad for the Davis Cup camp. Pakistan will take on Philippines on April 6 in Manila.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2012.