Karachi: Pakistan tennis player Aisam ul Haq Qureshi has turned down his ex-Indian partner Rohan Bopanna`s request for the duo to reunite next season, insisting that his partnership with Jean-Julien Rojer is working well for him.
Bopanna, who parted ways with Aisam at the end of last year and paired up with Mahesh Bhupathi keeping the London Olympics in mind, had approached Aisam for next season but the latter seemed reluctant to resume the partnership, reports a leading daily.
"Bopanna is a friend and I love to play with him but right now I am concentrating on making it to the London Masters. Right now my priority is to make it back into the top-eight and Rojer is working equally hard with me. We`ve found our way and I don`t think I would want to change that," Aisam was quoted, as saying.
"It`s always about the team first and I am able to meet all the goals with Rojer. Last year was tricky and I respected Bopanna`s wish but for now I am concentrating on the job at hand. So far my coach thinks that I can achieve the desired results with Rojer so I am sticking to that," he added.
Since his split with Bopanna, Aisam has managed to keep his ranking in the top-15 doubles players. Currently, Aisam is 13th, while Bopanna, who has been banned from representing India by the country`s tennis federation, is 15th. This year he won tournaments in Halle and Estoril while also reaching the semi-finals of the US Open.
The highlight of Aisam and Bopanna`s partnership was when the duo reached the US Open final in 2010 where they lost to the Bryan brothers.
"I am extremely clear about my goals and I know I am working towards making it to the top. Rojer and I had our struggles but we have improved as a team with every tournament so I have to think in terms of results," Aisam further said.
ANI
First Published: Thursday, October 04, 2012, 14:54