Bopanna-Qureshi to reunite in 2014

New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) Successful tennis pair Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi will join hands once again from the 2014 season.

The pair, known as the Indo-Pak Express, last played together in the ATP World Tour Final in 2011 London and have decided to pair up for a second stint with the aim of repeating and furthering their past exploits.

The duo split after the Tour finals when Bopanna decided to partner Mahesh Bhupathi for the 2012 London Olympics.

“It’s always a delight to partner with an old friend and specially someone with whom I have a great understanding with, on and off the court. I’ve always felt that we have a complementary playing style and the experience that we have playing with each other is an added advantage,” Bopanna said.

The Indian has had quite an eventful 2013, reaching a career high of third in the ATP rankings in July post his successful stint at Wimbledon, making a semifinal appearance for the first time. He is also currently ranked fifth in the world.

The Indo-Pak duo enjoyed a fantastic run. First partnering in 2007, they reached the 2010 US Open final, won the 2011 Paris Masters and also qualified for the ATP World Tour Final as they broke into the top 10. The pair won their first ATP doubles title at the 2011 Johannesburg Open.

The duo were also awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award for their ‘Stop War Start Tennis’ campaign and were nominated as ‘Champions for Peace’ by Monaco-based Peace and Sport.