Aisam Qureshi was on view on the practice courts, getting to work with his partner, Serbia’s Nenad Zimonjic. Aqeel Khan was also present in the unusual position of hitting partner and coach. The two had a lengthy hitting session yesterday. Aisam was handicapped because of his lost luggage which Qatar Airways was searching for. It has since been recovered. The Pakistani-Serbian pairing looks promising. They also start their matches Tuesday.
There is a tendency among the professional players on display here to play the same style of tennis. Powerful semi-western forehands and two handed backhands. They stand eight feet behind the baseline and slam balls at each other. Very little net play. Of late, the drop shop, reinvented by Djokovic, has become a factor, drawing the players forward and asking questions of their forecourt play. Djokovic is incisive with it. He drops the ball just over the net and it is either a clear winner or he covers the return with his long reach. There is no serve and volley player. Rajeev Ram the American of Indian descent, served and volleyed on occasion but was not effective enough. His volleys lacked pace and depth and Blaz Kavcic’s two handed backhand passed him at will. Ram has a silky touch and is a throwback to the way the game was played in the 60s and 70s. He has a one handed backhand and a flat forehand which he hits with good feel. But for todays players, this is easy meet. They hit the ball with pace and topspin, negating any touch that someone like Ram might have.
There is a surprising absence of top American players of top American players at this year’s Qatar Open. During the heydays of Sampras, Courier, Agassi there would be dozens of Americans at the top of the world rankings. Currently there is a definite dip in the representation of what was once the most powerful country in the sport. The reason could, quite possibly, be financial. Consider that the thirtieth ranked American player on the circuit can hardly make ends meet, whereas the thirtieth best baseball player would be signing contracts in the tens of millions. And therein lies the rub.
In other matches today, Benjamin Becker, Philip Krajinovic, Michael Berrer, de Bakker, Sabashvilli moved into the second round. All Europeans. The tournament starts in earnest tomorrow with Nadal and Djokovic in action. A week of thrills and spills awaits.
