KARACHI: Pakistan’s tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, playing the final ATP tournament of his career, reached a historic milestone Friday after advancing to the doubles final of the Islamabad ATP Challenger alongside partner Muzammil Murtaza.
The pair defeated Turkiye’s third-seeded duo, Mert Alkaya and Alp Horoz, 6-1, 6-4, becoming the first all-Pakistani team to qualify for the final of any ATP event.
Aisam, 44, has previously played 42 ATP World Tour finals and 58 ATP Challenger finals, but always with foreign partners. This marks the first time in his decades-long professional career that he will contest a final with a Pakistani teammate.
The unseeded Pakistani pair entered the tournament as wild cards and produced a commanding performance in the semifinal to secure their place in Saturday’s title match. They will face the fourth-seeded duo of Dominik Palan of the Czech Republic and Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan.
Saturday’s final will also be Aisam’s last match on the ATP Tour. The veteran, widely regarded as Pakistan’s greatest-ever tennis player, has expressed his desire to finish his career on a winning note. –Agencies
