They were known as the ‘Indo-Pak Express’ during their time together on the ATP doubles circuit. Now doubles specialists, India’s Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan are ready to pair up again after more than a decade when they first got together.
Bopanna and Qureshi are set to reunite to play men’s doubles at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco later this month, according to the tournament entry list. Bopanna all but confirmed the news when he retweeted the news from his Twitter account.
Bopanna/Qureshi aka “Indo Pak Express” back together@rohanbopanna @aisamhqureshi https://t.co/f6bdumnp7k
— Indian Tennis Daily (@IndTennisDaily) March 1, 2021
The duo formed a successful pairing more than a decade ago with five titles together. The India-Pakistan pair were former top-10 players after a breakthrough 2010, when they reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and finished runners-up in the US Open. They continued the success in 2011, playing the ATP World Tour Finals and played together again in 2014.
Now ranked 40 and 49th in doubles respectively, Bopanna and Qureshi were named in the entry list for doubles for the tournament in Mexico. The Indian had earlier played with Ben Mclachlan at the Australian Open and Singapore ATP while the Pakistani player teamed up with Tomislav Brkic.
Qureshi considers reaching the US Open doubles final in 2010 alongside good friend and Bopanna a pivotal point in his career. The year was a breakthrough season for the pair as they reached the doubles quarter-final at Wimbledon before reaching the final – the duo’s first in a Grand Slam – in New York.
“The US Open final was a life-changing moment for me,” Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi reminisced during an Instagram Live chat last year with Indian tennis player Purav Raja.
“It was something that I have always strived for and believed we can achieve. It was an unbelievable experience… and to experience it with the closest friend of mine, Rohan Bopanna was something else.
“The final changed my life. Not just on the tennis court, but off the court as well… I am very thankful to Rohan as well for making me achieve that. So, definitely a moment I will never forget.”
The Indo-Pak doubles also pioneered the Stop War, Start Tennis campaign to spread their message and it saw them win the prestigious Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award.
