Aisam paired with Rohan Bopanna of India for the men's doubles and with Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic for mixed doubles. The fact that he lost both matches seems irrelevant in the face of his amazing achievement; putting Pakistan on the map of international tennis.

In spite of their comparatively low ranking — seeded 16th as opposed to the top seeded Bryan brothers —Aisam and Bopanna gave their opponents a tough time. Both Aisam and Bopanna produced many magnificent forehand and backhand winners down the line but, perhaps due to tremendous pressure, they also fumbled at crucial points.

The Bryan brothers, on the other hand, performed like the seasoned pros that they are, serving several aces and keeping their calm in the face of pressure. Their victory was certainly well deserved.

A day earlier, Aisam paired up with Kveta Peschke against the US pair, Bob Bryan and Liezel Huber, in the mixed doubles final. The fact that it was the first time Aisam and Peschke were playing together showed up in their lack of coordination, eventually costing them the match.

The grandson of the All-India tennis champion, the late Khawaja Iftikhar, Aisam has tennis in his blood. His mother, Nausheen Ihtesham, was national grass court women's singles champion; she also represented Pakistan in the Federation Cup. Thirty-year-old Aisam has been in the international tennis circuit for more than a decade. He owes his remarkable achievements to his parents who funded his training and tours to earn glory for Pakistan.

Neither the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), the controlling body of the game, nor the Punjab Tennis Association, has had any hand in preparing Aisam for participation in the ITF tournaments which are crucial to improving his world ranking. All this involves heavy expenditure and Aisam's parents are to be commended for having spent the entire amount from their own pocket.

It must be noted that Aisam, along with some other players, was funded by the PTF for participation in the Davis Cup Asia, Oceania Zone, Group Two tennis. But this participation is funded by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which extends financial support to all teams participating in the Davis Cup competition.

About three years ago, Aisam also gave a commendable performance in the Wimbledon Open when he entered the second round of the men's singles but suffered a defeat. His highest men's singles ranking was 125 but later he decided to concentrate on doubles.

Aisam and Bopanna, or the Indo-Pak Express as they call themselves, have been competing together in the doubles category for about three years in the ITF tour circuit. Over the passage of time they have gained a remarkable degree of coordination and understanding; as a team they are cohesive and deliver perfect court coverage.

Former Pakistan Tennis Federation secretary, Munir Pirzada, also a former Davis Cupper who had reached the men's second round of the 1956 Wimbledon Open, was all praise for Asiam's decision to stick to the same partner instead of changing the combination every time. Apart from the on-court advantage, it is also very heartening to see an Indian and a Pakistani perform together in perfect harmony; an achievement that dwarfs even the grandest of grand slams.

After the US Open Aisam's men's doubles ranking has shot up from 34 to 6 and he now has his eyes set on reaching the top ranking for which he has to work tremendously hard and undergo physical training to improve his speed on the court. He will also work on improving his racquet skill. He is fully capable of achieving the goal of entering the men's doubles finals in next year's four grand slams starting with the Australian Open in, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon and last, but not least, the US Open.