Aisam admits season was ‘below average’

Pakistan tennis star remains upbeat, aims to maintain top-five ranking.

KARACHI: Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi admits that his performance with Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer in last season’s hardcourt circuit was not good enough.

The duo struggled on hardcourts with disappointing performances throughout the year. Their latest setback came in the US Open where they crashed out in the quarter-finals.

“We had a below average hardcourt season to begin with,” Aisam told The Express Tribune. “I think we didn’t have the same confidence when we played the US Open this year. But my partner and I lost to the eventual winners of the championship in the quarter-finals, so that is one positive.”

The poor season affected Aisam’s doubles’ individual ranking, as he dropped two places to 14th from 12th while Rojer is in 15th position. Together, they are in fifth place in the world doubles’ team rankings.

However, Aisam remained upbeat saying that they will playing at least five tournaments to maintain their top-five ranking by the end of the year and has set sights on the London Masters.

“I’m proud of the fact that I’ll play the London Masters for four years in a row this time,” added Aisam. “I can say that I’ve been consistent, as my aim is to stay among the top-five teams. I’ll be playing five tournaments before the London Masters to ensure that we end the year on a high note.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2013.

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