Tennis Special Edition: A look at Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi’s doubles performance this year
Born on March 17, 1980 in the city of Lahore, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi is a Pakistani tennis star. The Lahore resident is currently the top-ranked tennis contender in Pakistan. Aisam is also the former third-ranked Asian player in the world. The thirty-year-old Qureshi has also registered his name as the first player from his country to reach the final of a major event, at the 2010 United States Open mixed doubles competition in New York.
Aisam was teamed with Amir Hadad, an Israeli tennis player during the grass court Grand Slam tournament as well as the United States Open championship back in 2002. Both of them were given the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award for playing together, despite tremendous pressures from their respective societies.
The Pakistani tennis star is also a member of the "Champions for Peace" club, an organization of forty athletes committed to serving peace all around the world through their sport, developed by Monaco-based international organization called Peace and Sport.
As far as his doubles performances this season are concerned, Quershi captured his first-ever ATP trophy at the 2010 SA Tennis Open competition held in South Africa, along with his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna. They got the better of Israel's Harel Levy as well as Germany's Karol Beck in a total of two sets in the title battle. The final match score was 2-6, 6-3, [10-5].
Aisam and Rohan then reached their second ATP final of the season at the 2010 Grand Prix Hassan II, held in Morocco, however, were knocked down by Horia Tecau from Romania and Robert Lindstedt from Sweden in a two-setter clash. The final match score was 2-6, 6-3, [7-10].
During the month of may this year, Aisam along with his Indian partner Rohan ended as runner-up in the 2010 Open de Nice Cote d Azur, held in France, falling to Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo in a total of three-sets in the title battle. The final match score was 6-1 3-6 5-10.
At the clay court French Open tennis tournament this season, the Pak-Indian duo couldn’t pass the second round in Roland Garros. They were defeated by Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra in the round two in straight sets.
Aisam and Rohan next, made their way into the quarter final round of the Wimbledon championship for the very first time this season at the All England Club. In the interim period between the grass court Grand Slam tournament as well as the United States Open event, they managed to make an appearance in the semi-final round at the 2010 Legg Mason Tennis Classic competition, where they were defeated by the ultimate winners Mark Knowles and Mardy Fish in straight sets.
At the 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters tennis competition, the Pakistan- India duo had a disappointing second round departure versus Marcin Matkowski and Mariusz Fyrstenberg in straight sets. They next contested at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament 2010 in New Heaven, where Rohan and Bopanna once again reached the final round, just to lose to Tecau and Lindstedt in straight sets.
At the United States Open doubles tennis tournament, Aisam and Rohan have made their way into the semi-final round of the competition after getting the better of d**k Norman and Wesley Moodie in straight sets. In the mixed doubles contest at the Flushing Meadows, Aisam along with Kveta Peschke from Czech Republic has reached the final round of the United States Open in New York. This is Aisam’s best appearance at any Grand Slam tournament so far in his career.
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