Paes, Bhupathi thrash Pakistanis to reach semis

Doha, Dec 11 (UNI) Top seed and former World number one pair Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi brought the high-flying Pakistani duo of Aisam-ul Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan down to earth handing them a 6-2, 6-4 drubbing in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games tennis doubles event here today.

Paes and Bhupathi showed that when they are in their elements they are simply unstoppable and the young Pakistani pair learnt it the hard way during their 67-minute ordeal on the court.

The Indian duo had beaten them in the Davis Cup tie but the Pakistanis were hoping against hope that the Indian Express, due to internal bickering, will slow down but opposite happened and they were simply outlasted by the top seeds.

It was a vintage Paes-Bhupathi show and thrilled the hundreds of Indians who had packed the stands and in returns these expatriates were hoping and praying that the former World Number one duo should start playing together again in other tournaments too.

And for Aisam and Aqeel it was a lesson in the game. The Pakistanis, tried to bulldoze their way but found the much older rival duo too hard and stiff to be overpowered.

In the very first game of the set, the Pakistanis were broken and then the Indians took their third serve also and the set was as good as over. The top seeds combined well, served well and then went for the kill not allowing the rallies to go on for long.

It was a percentage tennis by the seasoned campaigners who did not indulge in any frills, the points were earned at a rapid speed, energies were conserved and there not much of running in and around the court.

Pakistani had no clue as how to tackle their formidable rivals, Aisam a regular on the Indian circuit and Aqeel Khan another frequent visitor to India realised the difference with the players they play in Delhi or Kolkata and the pair they faced here.

They found hard to return and were left simply stranded as the backh and and fore hand cross courts shots and volleys zipped past them.

The Indians first serve clicked and they had 74 percent of the first serve as compared to their rivals who had 59 percent in the first set.

The first set lasted 32 minutes which saw Pakistani firing three aces while the Indian replied with only one but that was only for academic intrest otherwise the Aisam-Aqeel combine was reduced to be a mere spectators.

The second session saw Pakistani hold on to their serve and the Indians waiting for the kill. Paes and Bhupathi did not exert much and got the chance in the ninth game and they applied the kill to break the Pakistanis and then held on their serve to win the set in 35 minutes and wrap up the match.

''It was a good match, the Pakistanis are promising players but we combined well to win,'' said Paes after the victory.

''We have played against them in the Davis cup and I partnered Aisam in the tournament in Mumbai in September this year. We knew their game,'' he added.

Bhupathi said: ''We were expecting it to be a tight match, they are good fighters and have improved well.'' Aisam acknowledged that it was a tough assignment to beat the Indians.

''When they are in form, I don't they they can be beaten. Their track records show, but we put up a good fight, though we had a problem with our serve, especially with the first.'' And he had a point. The Pakistanis had only 46 percent of the first serve going in the second set.

UNI HSB DH HT1757