Bopanna-Qureshi win first ATP title

JOHANNESBURG: The partnership between Rohan Bopanna and Aisam Qureshi has gathered quite a fan following since the Indo-Pak pair began playing on the tour four years ago.

They had managed a noticeable run at Challenger events, winning seven titles together, but despite making it to two finals, an ATP trophy still eluded them. On Sunday, they redressed that statistic, defeating Slovakian Karol Beck and Harold Levy of Israel in the final of the South African Open at Johannesburg 2-6 6-3 10-5 for their first doubles win on the ATP tour.

This is Qureshi’s first tour event title, while Bopanna was a previous winner at the Los Angeles Open in 2008 with American Eric Butorac.

At the Montecasino Outdoor Arena in Johannesburg this week, Qureshi and Bopanna played on a much higher level than their unseeded status, knocking out the second and third-seeded teams as they made their way into the final. The pair will get 250 ranking points for this victory.

“Both Aisam and I are thrilled to have won. We had a great 2009 together, winning three Challengers, but were not able to clinch a tour event. It’s great to have begun this year on such a positive note and we hope this is the first of many,” said Bopanna. The Indian will now move on to tournaments in San Jose, Memphis and Dubai.