Aisam, Gonzalez win clay court championship in Houston

KARACHI: Pakistan’s tennis ace Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his Mexican partner Santiago González won their first title of the year by clinching the trophy of US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston on Monday.

The unseeded pair of Aisam and Santiago, ranked 58th and 51st, respectively, overpowered the British duo of Neal Skupski and Ken Skupski, ranked 37th and 59th, respectively, 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 in the finals of this ATP-250 championship.

It was their first meeting with the British brothers. Gonzalez and Qureshi briefly teamed up in 2008, capturing a Challenger title in Brazil. “At the end of last year, we were both looking for partners,” Qureshi said after the match. “We played in Rome, Madrid and Shenzhen, and played really solid matches against top teams. We thought something could click this year," he added.

"He [Gonzalez] stuck with me and believed in me, and it’s our third final this year. I’m super happy we were able to win it,” Aisam said. Earlier this season, they reached the final at the New York Open, and last week made a run to the Monterrey Challenger final.

It’s the 17th career title for Qureshi, who also reached the US Open doubles and mixed finals with Rohan Bopanna and Kveta Peshke, respectively. “I think 39 is the new 29,” he said, laughing. “I feel young at heart, and that’s what it’s all about. Age is just a number. If you’re motivated and have those goals and dreams you want to achieve, it makes you keep going. That’s the only reason I’m still playing.”