Biography
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (born March 17, 1980, in Lahore) is a professional tennis player from Pakistan. He is the Pakistani Number 1. His highest Singles Race ranking is 103rd and is the former Asian number 3. Aisam had a successful career in Junior tennis, finishing No. 7 in the world in 1998, which made him Pakistan's highest-ranked player ever on the international youth tennis arena and turned pro in 1998.
Early life
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi grew up in Lahore, Pakistan, swimming and playing cricket and football. He started playing tennis late at age of 14 when his mother and first coach, Nausheen Ihtisham, a former 10-time national champion , took him to a tennis club.
His maternal grandfather, Adil Mansoor Tipu, was the All-India champion before Pakistan split from India in 1947. At age 16, the ITF sponsored him for two years. He won the Pakistan International Junior Championships and went on to win more, such as the Casablanca Cup in Mexico and the LTA International Junior Championships in Roehampton where he beat Olivier Rochus, Andy Ram and Taylor Dent. In the World Super Junior Championships, he beat Andy Roddick.By 18, he wats a Top 20 junior player, and
decided to turn pro.
Career
As Pakistan number one, he has led Pakistan's Davis Cup campaign. After shocking New Zealand in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I second round play-off in 2004 to survive relegation, he took them to the World Group Play-Offs for the first time in 2005, before they were beaten by Chile. He has won the most Davis Cup matches for Pakistan, being the most successful singles and doubles player ever. He also has the best doubles pairing for Pakistan with Aqeel Khan.
In 2007 he reached the second round at Wimbledon and later in July at Campbell's Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, USA he reached the quarter-finals. In September 2007, he reached his first ATP doubles final with Indian Rohan Bopanna at the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open in Mumbai, India, where they lost to Robert Lindstedt and Jarkko Nieminen. In the 2008 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Championships, in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, he and Bopanna were 4th seeds, and were favourites to win the final but lost out to Mardy Fish and John Isner, 4–6 6–7.
Coaches
As a junior, he was coached by LTA. Aisam has been coached by American Robert Davis since 1998. Robert Davis has served as national coach for Peru, Panama, Thailand, and Indonesia. As a writer, he contributes to the ATP's DEUCE Magazine, TENNIS MAGAZINE USA, TENNIS.COM, TENNIS MAGAZINE AUSTRALIA, and ITF publications as well as non sporting publications and newspapers.
Awards and Accolades
In November 2010 Aisam was appointed The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) goodwill ambassador.
Aisam was awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year for 2010 along with his doubles tennis partner Rohan Bopanna of India, he had previously won the award in 2002 with Amir Hadad of Israel.
Along with Rohan Bopanna, Aisam received the 2010 "Peace and Sport Image of the Year" award,in recognition of their dedicated efforts to spread the message of peace through sport.
2011
Aisam started 2011 with taking part in India Open in Mens doubles where he reached quarterfinal. Then he went Sydney Open Patnered with Rohan Bopanna Indo-Pak reached semifinal where they beat by initial champions Lukáš Dlouhý and Paul Hanley by 7-5, 4-6, 10-8. Then Qureshi go to the Australian Open where he and Bopanna reached 3rd Round before got beaten by Michaël Llodra and Nenad Zimonjić by 3-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi's run at the Monte Carlo Masters ended on Saturday,when they were beaten in the semi-finals. The sixth-seeded duo lost to unseeded South Americans Juan Ignacio Chela and Bruno Soares 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-7 in 95 minutes.
