Wimbledon 2012: Aisam, Rojer bow out despite fightback

Pair beaten in 3rd round; Murray, Djokovic through in singles.

LONDON: Pakistan ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer could not complete a remarkable comeback from two sets down as they were defeated by Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen 6-7(5/7), 6-7(4/7), 7-6(7/4), 7-5, 5-7 in the third round of the gentlemen’s doubles match.

The eighth-seeded pair, who led 4-3 in the third set before play was abandoned on Monday due to rain, came out firing yesterday winning the third and fourth set to level the match at 2-2. However, Rojer was broken deep in the decisive set allowing their opponents to serve out the match successfully to qualify for the fourth round.

Murray sets up last-8 Ferrer clash 

In the men’s singles matches, Andy Murray reached a fifth successive Wimbledon quarter-final where he will meet Spanish bulldozer David Ferrer who has made the last-eight for the first time at the 10th attempt.

British fourth-seed Murray beat Croatian 16th-seed Marin Cilic 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 as organisers scrambled to make up for lost time caused by heavy rain. He will now attempt to go on to a fourth All England Club semi-final on the trot, but will first have to get past seventh-seed Ferrer who put out former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Murray was playing his last-16 tie against a background of controversy after it was suggested that, as the country’s best hope for a finalist since Bunny Austin in 1938, he should play all his matches on Centre Court.

“I honestly don’t care which court I play on,” said Murray. “It makes no difference but obviously every player would rather be on Centre Court because you know you are going to get your match in regardless of the weather. I don’t think I deserve to play every match on Centre Court. It’s just annoying when the weather is bad.”

Meanwhile, defending champion Djokovic will tackle German 31st-seed Florian Mayer, who reached the quarter-finals for the second time with a 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 win over French 18th-seed Richard Gasquet.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Mayer. “Eight years ago I was here in the quarters, and now eight years later it’s happened again. So it’s a wonderful dream for me.”

In other matches, Philipp Kohlschreiber ended US qualifier Brian Baker’s fairytale run with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2012.