Pakistan's most successful Davis Cup pair, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan, present the most realistic medal hope for the country.
Pakistan's two-man tennis squad of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan vowed to fight for a podium finish as they set off for the Commonwealth Games on Saturday.
The pair, who have been representing Pakistan at the Davis Cup for the last 12 years, expressed hope that the vast experience of playing in India will give them an edge over their opponents in the Indian capital.
“Aqeel and I have played and won several tournaments in India so we will be familiar with the conditions and it will be only a case of using the situation to our advantage,” Pakistan's most successful tennis player, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi told Dawn.com.
The duo had been preparing for the Games at Lahore's Bagh-e-Jinnah courts for the last two weeks, where they underwent practice sessions, matches and doubles drills.
“I knew Aisam would be returning from the US on September 15, so I came to Lahore to practice with him,” Karachi-based Aqeel Khan said.
Aisam and Aqeel are already Pakistan's most successful doubles team, having won a record number of matches in the Davis Cup. However, since tennis is making its debut at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, it will be the first time the 'A-team' will represent Pakistan at the Games.
While the pair last played together in July (in the New Zealand-based Davis Cup tie), they don't expect the gap to have a telling effect on their game.
“We understand each other's game really well and as you would expect from any team that has been together for so long, it didn't take me too long to settle back with Aqeel after a three-month gap,” Aisam said.
The Lahore-based Aisam is a serve-and-volley expert while Aqeel plays his game from the baseline, forming a perfect doubles combination. Aisam's widely broadcast US Open exploits depicted a powerful serve as his biggest strength. His Karachi-based partner also boasts a good service game, as well as having a strong forehand.
Both players have not been to India for over two years but have a good track record in the neighbouring country. Aisam won his first ATP Challenger title in India, while Aqeel's last title win across the border came in the form of a Futures tournament in 2008.
Being familiar with the country also means the players are not concerned about the pre-Games controversy regarding players' security and safety.
“We will only find out what the conditions are like once we are there but we have been given the go-ahead by our officials,” Aisam told Dawn.com.
The draws for the Commonwealth Games tennis matches were released hours before the duo left for India so while they are not yet aware of the names of their opponents, their nationalities are enough to evoke interest for local fans.
Australia, seeded fourth at the Games, will pose a tough challenge for the Pakistani pair first up, but the prospect of facing familiar foes India in the second round could help them overcome the challenge.
In the singles category, Aisam will face a Ugandan opponent while Aqeel's first match will be against an English player.
Later on in the draw, Aisam might end up playing against his doubles partner Rohan Bopanna (of India) but he does not feel that it will make a lot of difference to his performance.
“We are both professional players and while we will be fighting to beat each other, it will not have any effect on our doubles partnership on ATP circuit.”
While Aisam and Aqeel have already played a few matches at the venue for the tennis matches, the R. K. Khanna stadium has been rebuilt and the courts re-laid. Both players are grass-court experts but being professionals, playing on hard courts should not pose a challenge. It could actually be favourable for Aisam, who recently completed a six-week hard-court tour in the US.
The more realistic challenge will be how well the pair gels together, as Aqeel has mostly played on the domestic circuit and has not faced the same caliber of opponents as Aisam.
Aisam, who has been riding on the wave of his US Open success, said the nation's new-found following of the game will push him to improve his performance in India.
“I don't think the following or the expectations will be a burden for me. It will only make me work harder to bring laurels for my country and please my fans.”
Aqeel, meanwhile, would hope that playing alongside a world number six and a national hero will help him get the recognition a national number one deserves and for all we know, the A-team could end up on the podium.
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