Indo-Pak Express splits, Qureshi not to team up with Bopanna next season– Tennis News
Sad news for tennis fans from two nations, as it has been confirmed that the Indo-Pak Express of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi will not be teaming up as the doubles partners in the next ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)
season. The duo of Bopanna and Qureshi finished at number five in the South African Airlines 2011 World Team Rankings this season.
The Indo-Pak Express broke in the Top-5 for the first time this year with a 38-29 winning record and three ATP doubles championship titles under its belt. Bopanna and Qureshi made it to the circuit ending grand finale, the Barclays
ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Finals, in London but it proved to be one of their worst runs of the year. The Indo-Pak duo lost all its three round robin matches in the event, suffering a humiliating exit from the season finale.
After their third round robin lost to the ‘Polish Power’, Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski, Qureshi confirmed that his teammate has decided to play with his Mahesh Bhupathi of India in the coming 2012 season. He told the
reporters that it is a part of the preparations for the Olympic Games to be held in July next year.
“I respect Rohan's decision to play with Mahesh, with a view to competing at the Olympics,” said Qureshi. “I hope I will be there too.”
Qureshi will team up with the 30-year-old Aussie veteran, Jean-Julien Rojer, for the next year and the duo will take off its campaign from the Australian Open in January. Rojer is ranked at number 20 in doubles and clinched three
doubles championship titles this season playing with Eric Butorac of the United States.
“Rojer is in the top 20 so I am confident that we can make a good team. I completely respect Bopanna’s decision to change partners. I will concentrate on maintaining my rankings to qualify for the Olympics so that I can also take
another Pakistani with me to the grand event,” told Qureshi on his return to Pakistan.
Qureshi is the only tennis player from Pakistan to have competed in the prestigious ATP World Tour Finals along with Bopanna. The Indo-Pak Express clinched its first ever ATP Masters 1000 doubles title at the BNP Paribas Masters
in Paris this season, propelling them to the number five spot in the doubles rankings. President of Pakistan Tennis Federation, Syed Kaleem Imam, and other senior officials and tennis players congratulated Qureshi for his magnificent season run on his return
to home.
Tags: