Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi has been Pakistan's lone flag-bearer in tennis for quite some time now.

The 35-year-old has racked up 11 doubles titles but the defining moment of Aisam's career was undoubtedly the 2010 US Open final.

The 'Indo-Pak Express', as the pair of Aisam and India's Rohan Bopanna came to be known, lost the match to the Bryan brothers of the US, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), but the two players left a mark on the world stage.

Five years on from that momentous day, Pakistan is hardly a tennis force, though, and according to Aisam there's no one to replace him or Aqeel Khan on the Davis Cup team as both players turn 36 this year.

In an exclusive interview with Dawn, Aisam talks about the state of the game in the country, the prospect of playing with Sania Mirza and the day he took on Roger Federer in a doubles match and triumphed.

Q: How hopeful are you about the future of this game in the country?

Aisam: In the current scenario Pakistan is struggling to produce international level tennis talent.

I don’t see a player good enough to replace Aqeel Khan or myself and feature for Pakistan at the Davis Cup.

Unfortunately, the Pakistan Tennis Federation and the government have failed to provide any kind of assistance for the growth of the game in the country. I am hopeful things will change as new people have recently joined the PTF.

But we will have to wait for at least five or six more years to see Pakistan produce a player who can compete and win at the world stage.

Q: Pakistan has struggled to do well in tennis unlike India, which has produced several world class players. What do you think is the major difference?

Aisam: The tennis circuit in Pakistan is not vast enough but it’s even more alarming that the emerging talent is now starting to look for opportunities abroad — particularly tennis scholarships in foreign universities.

The players opt to play for their respective university which abates their desire to pursue the sport as a profession.

During this process the players who grow in the domestic circuit also suffer and are unable to become useful for the country.

Q: How much of a role has the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) played in your progress as a player?

Aisam: The Pakistan Tennis Federation has played absolutely no role in my career as professional.

I was self-sufficient and my parents backed me a lot too.

The federation never supported me to get sponsorships or anything such thing.

Aqeel Khan, though,was provided with resources to participate in international events and he deserved it too.As far as I know Samir Iftikhar also received help from the PTF, initially, but now he too has moved to America to train on his own.

There are hardly any facilities in Pakistan which can help aspiring players polish their skills and become professionals. I have been lucky I had the support of my parents.

Q: What do you think is the solution to these problems? Tennis is an expensive sport, what steps need to be taken?

Aisam: The academies are more interested in making money rather than producing talent.

The federation should help coaches and also set targets for the players and reward them with international exposure if they achieve them so that their spirit stays alive.

Same goes for the coaches’ development too.

But what we really need are quality coaching camps where players are educated not just about their game but their training methods. These players then should compete with senior players which will help in enhancing their standards and increasing their experience.

The best performers in this process should be backed by the federation to play tournaments. The players can only get better if they carry on playing.

Q: You’ve had a long career and with tennis becoming increasingly physical, have you mulled over your future?

Aisam: I have no plans to retire in the near future. I am working very hard to maintain my fitness and I believe I can go on to play for at least five more years.

I want to win a grand slam title and achieve a place in the top ten rankings once more before I retire.

Q: Look back at your career until now? Are you satisfied with your accomplishments?

Aisam: I am very grateful that my hard work paid off to a great extent as I have been quite successful at the international level.

I have played in a grand slam final but unfortunately couldn’t win.

Beating Roger Federer in a doubles match was a great feeling and I won’t ever forget this achievement.

Roger is a great and playing against him is a big feat in itself.

Q: How was your experience playing with Indian partner Rohan Bopanna? Do you think sports can improve Indo-Pak ties?

Aisam: It was a priceless experience playing with Rohan Bopanna and he is a great friend.

We failed to continue our partnership for longer because at one time our rankings dropped due to which it was difficult for us to feature together in big tournaments.

We had to part ways when the Olympics were around the corner and Rohan needed an Indian partner to qualify and I respected his limitation then.

The sad part is that at that time I did not have a single Pakistani player with whom I could have partnered up with in the Olympics qualifying campaign.

Q: It has been discussed before but is there a possibility of you teaming up with Sania Mirza in the future?

Aisam: At the very beginning of my career, I approached Sania Mirza to team up with me for mixed doubles but she preferred to play with another player. But I’d still like to play with her if I get the chance.

Indo-Pak tennis will prosper if players from the neighbouring countries form partnerships and I’m looking forward to this in the future.

I think sports and politics should never mix and players should not be forced to depend on their governments’ decisions.

Q: Have you thought about life after tennis?

Aisam: I wish to remain connected to the game and set up a tennis academy after I retire.

Through this I want to play my part in helping the game grow in the country and make sure another Aisam-ul- Haq or an even better player emerges and brings back Pakistan numerous titles.