Aisam, Bopanna bow out in semi-final

Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna were outclassed by the American pair of Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles.

KARACHI: Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna’s remarkable run at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic ended when the American pair of Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles beat them in straight sets 7-5, 7-5 in the semi-final.

The unseeded Paksitan-India pair began with confidence as they relied on their powerful serves and volleys before the Americans outplayed them to take the first set 7-5 after a close battle. The situation continued in the second set however, Fish and Knowles sustained the pressure to eventually take the second set by the same margin.

Aisam and Bopanna, who had earlier stunned the formidable brothers Mike and Bob Bryan in the quarter-final, lost in an hour and 36 minutes.

However, there was some consolation for the pair as they not only earned 180 ranking points but also the $17,000 as prize money before the all-important US Open that starts from August 20 in New York.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2010.