Aisam sets next year’s targets after London failure
The duo, making their team debut at the competition, lost to Spaniards Marc Lopez and Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-2, making it three defeats in three matches in London.
Aisam is now looking forward to the next season and wants to put behind him the disappointments of 2012, a year that also saw him miss out on a place at the Olympics.
“It’s been a roller-coaster ride,” Aisam told The Express Tribune. “We qualified for this event a week ago in Paris. There was a lot of pressure on us.
“However, we stood strong but unfortunately we had a tough group and were up against more experienced teams. But I take it as an achievement to be the only Pakistani to appear in the tournament two years in a row. The year was more about overcoming personal and individual drawbacks than the professional ones. The year wasn’t great, but it was satisfactory.”
Aisam’s next assignment is a tournament in Cambodia, ahead of the Australia Open, that starts on December 10. The Pakistan tennis ace was hopeful of using the event to get back in form and strategise for the year ahead.
“The aim is to start the year with victories. I really didn’t like the way we qualified for the ATP World tour this time. Rojer and I want to start 2013 by winning more trophies and at least a grand slam.”
The Pakistani added that he aims to represent Pakistan at the Davis Cup in February against Sri Lanka.
“The others goals for next year include playing Davis Cup for Pakistan against Sri Lanka. I’ll be working hard on getting Pakistan in the Asian-Oceania group and will also pursue the Pakistan Tennis Federation for hosting the ties in the country.”
Aisam will return to Pakistan on November 15 before the pre-season matches in Cambodia.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2012.
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Vishnu you have to be blind.. in fact the reason they lost is because of Bopanna, Had Bhuppati still been with Leander the all indian team would have eased past the Spaniards. Bopanna is nothing special. As far as the ability to play tennis goes, Aisam has a victor over a player that was ranked number 11 in the world at the time when he beat him. Richard Gasquet. He beat him in the first round at Wimbledon and took Marat Safin to 4 sets. Bopanna on the other hand? yeah. Thought so. Just Ordinary.
@Vishnu Dutta: Aisam also has a better head to head record over bopanna in singles. Much better infact
@Vishnu...oh please. Bopanna made it because he was with Bhupathi. Bhupathi is a world class doubles player.
In the related news, Bopanna reached the Finals of the same tournament. I have been saying this for a while, aisam was a drab on Bopanna's career