Aisam-Rojer fall at the final hurdle

Pakistan tennis ace blames exhaustion for failing to defend Portugal Open title.

KARACHI: Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer failed to defend their Portugal Open doubles title, going down in a close encounter to American Scott Lipsky and Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 in Oeiras yesterday.

After going down in the opening set, Aisam and Rojer fought back to clinch the second and keep hopes alive of winning their second doubles title of the year after their triumph in Miami. After being 5-1 down, the tournament’s top seeds levelled but Lipsky and Gonzalez were not to be denied.

Illness made it worse, says Aisam

Aisam, who was treated by medics after the second set, blamed heat and exhaustion for the pair’s defeat in the final.

“This tournament was really important for me and Rojer,” Aisam told The Express Tribune. “I’m just disappointed because I couldn’t give my 100 %. I felt dizzy and even fainted on court.

“The assistants gave me an energy drink to ward off the dizziness but it just made it worse. I’m not making excuses because I really feel Lipsky and Gonzalez played well and deserved the trophy.”

Aisam and Rojer won their first title together at the Portugal Open last year, after India’s Rohan Bopanna parted ways with the Pakistani to prepare for the 2012 London Olympics.

“It would’ve been Rojer’s third Portugal Open trophy in a row and the second successive one for me. This is where our journey began together. But I guess these things are just out of our control,” added Aisam.

The Pakistani was now looking forward to his campaign at the Madrid Open with his opening doubles match due on Wednesday.

“I’m hoping to be back in form in a week. The doctors said that I felt dizzy due to exhaustion. But I’m looking forward to Madrid since it will help in preparing for the French Open.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2013.