Adil Najam
Pakistani tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi will feature in two different finals at Flushing Meadow’s – the home of U.S. Open Tennis – this week: Aisam has reached the finals in both the Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles categories!
(Photos: Picture on left is Kveta Peschke and Aisam-ul-Haq; picture on right is Aisam-ul-Haq and Rohan Bopanna; during US Open 2010)
He will be playing the first of those finals today (Thursday, September 9, 2010) – US Open Mixed Doubles – where Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his Czech partner Kveta Peschke will play the World Number 1 ranked pair of Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan, both from USA.
This is by far the best performance by a Pakistani in a grand slam tournament, and to be playing in two different finals in one of the most important (possibly, second only to Wimbledon) tennis tournament in the world is a major achievement. In any doubles game credit should go equally to both players in the team, Aisam-ul-Haq has blossomed into a doubles player of great skill and merit and has been steadily improving his world standings in doubles tennis (now ranked No. 34 in World Doubles rankings).
We have followed with fascination the rise of the 30 year old from Lahore and written about him in different contexts (here, here, here). His rise in this year’s US Open Doubles tournaments has been particularly heartening, and all the more impressive since he is playing both categories side-by-side.
In the Mixed Doubles, the road to the Finals looked like this:
Kveta Peschke (CZE) and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) BEAT
Semi-Finals: 7-6, 7-6
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) and Mark Knowles (BAH)
Quarter-Finals: 3-6, 6-2, 1-0
Gisela Dulko (ARG) and Pablo Cuevas (URU)
Round 2: 5-7, 6-3, 1-0
Yaroslava Shevedova (KAZ) and Julian Knowle (AUT)
Round 1: 7-5, 4-6, 1-0
Vania King (USA) and Horia Tecau (ROU)
In the Men’s Doubles, the road to the Finals looked like this:
Rohan Bopanna (IND) and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (PAK) BEAT
Semi-Finals: 7-6, 6-4
Eduardo Schwank (ARG) and Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
Quarter-Finals: 7-5, 7-6
Wesley Moodie (RSA) and Dick Norman (BEL)
Round 3: 6-3, 6-4
Daniel Nestor (CAN) and Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)
Round 2: 6-4, 6-4
Michael Kohlmann (GER) and Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)
Round 1: 6-3, 7-6
Brian Battistone (USA) and Ryler DeHeart (USA)
In both the finals, Aisam will be playing against American Bob Bryan. In the Mixed Doubles Final, Aisam and his Czech partner Kveta Peschke will play against Bob Bryan and his fellow-American Liezel Huber (ranked World No. 1) while in the Men’s Doubles Final Aisam and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna will be pitted against the American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan (also ranked World No. 1 in the doubles).
His stellar streak, coming at a time when just about everything in Pakistan- from floods to cricket – seems to be going terribly wrong gives some solace to Pakistani fans. The first of his Finals will be played later today (Thursday, September 9) and we wish Aisam and Kveta the very best of luck, as we do to Aisam and Rohan who will feature in the Men’s Final later this week.
He didnt win but atleast he made somewhat sane statments at the end.No statements lead you anywhere but he was atleast able to sumup the game with some self respect.which most of our players loose when they come to international media.he made a true statment which most of our pakistani which are in limelight are totally hesitant of.The others just came even when they lose n dig Pakistan names into shame.so atleast he was presentable n confident enough to face his defeat n that was what applausible.i guess.
@Ahmed,
I am in academia myself, and I agree with you on the point that society in general does not give the accomplishments of researchers, etc enough exposure. This is certainly more true in Pakistan, unfortunately, as you mentioned.
However, your terming Aisam and his partner as “low caliber” is uncalled for, and frankly quite unbecoming of a professor who claims to be among the “top 10” in his field. In the academic context, that is akin to saying that if one cannot publish in Nature or Science, one should simply quit research altogether. A nonsensical point of view.
Whatever press coverage this US Open run is getting, is probably not at the expense of quality science reporting, and if it annoys you, you can simply ignore it. Also, I don’t understand your argument about doubles matches not being as popular as the singles matches….does this mean that if Pakistan’s women’s cricket team wins the world cup, you would consider it a non-achievement simply because very few people watch those matches on TV? I would guess that more people watch doubles tennis than women’s cricket.
Anyway, most Pakistanis would agree that it is heartening to see headlines like “Bryan brothers win 3rd U.S. Open doubles title but Pakistani wins crowd” in major American newspapers.
@Talat
Not a very smart comment. I am a professor and in the top 10 in my chosen field. And, I don’t play sports. And, you don’t get a good grade for your logical non sequitur.
That said, my point is that we pay too much attention to little scraps of sports “honor” that come our way. Both in Pakistan and in India. It is a South Asian phenomena. Look at how people across the border think Sania is fantastic. No true (non-desi) tennis afficianado would even know her name.
There are South Asians achieving in other areas and are at the very top of their profession. Why don’t we celebrate that, instead of making a big deal about also-rans in third-rate sports events. An Indian won the Chemistry Nobel last year. Why does he not get even a fraction of the fanfare that these guys get?
It is patently absurd. All this fawning makes us feel satisfied with low-calibre sports people, setting the standard for mediocrity. Hey, why should anyone play any harder, if being an also-ran is good enough!
Meanwhile, China didn’t make a lot of fuss about second-rate sports personalities. And. no fawning press. And, over the past decade has gone from being zeros (like us) to true champions.
Ahmed
@Ahmed
I guess you are right…. please remind us which year YOU had won the singles title?
What does that make you, a third rate guy making a third rate comment?
Aisam-Rohan is good news. And, it makes us proud!
But, I am afraid we (and the media) will again blow this way out of proportion. So, lets get some ground truths to put this in perspective.
Tennis doubles is one of the least watched and one of the least competitive sports. So much so that the powers that be wanted to get rid of it all together. (The Bryans had to sue to keep them from doing that!)
No one grows up wanting to be a doubles player. If they don’t cut in singles, not even in the top 20, then they try doubles. In fact, that was the case even with the best doubles duo ever – the Bryans. One of the brothers tried very hard to make it as a singles player, but couldn’t.
So, there it is. Second-best in a third-rate sport. I will celebrate when South Asians do better – like win a tennis singles grand slam.
Ahmed