Qureshi’s Farewell Lights Pakistan’s Tennis Path
In Islamabad’s crisp November air, a 25-year doubles veteran savors his final matches, blending legacy with a young partner’s surge to save a tense opener and seed hope for the nation’s emerging players.
The sun crests over the Islamabad Tennis Complex on November 28, 2025, dissolving the morning fog and a persistent chill. Men in shalwar kameez and woolen vests cluster around heaters, steam rising from teacups, while sparrowhawks and a peregrine falcon circle the dusty plains above. The sharp crack of polo mallets from the nearby club mingles with the fresh rebound off newly resurfaced hard courts, evoking South Asia’s layered rhythms in this historic debut for Pakistan tennis.
Year-end points fuel quiet resolve
For players on the Challenger Tour, this late-November event pulses with urgency, the last chance to harvest PIF ATP Ranking points before winter halts the circuit. Each point here tips the balance for direct entry into ATP Tour main draws, turning routines into calculated risks amid the season’s fading light. Yet Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi arrives unburdened by such climbs, his focus on a farewell after more than 25 years, transforming the tournament into a personal cornerstone for Pakistan’s growth.
Paired with Muzammil Murtaza rather than longtime ally Aqeel Khan, he embraces a shift that hands opportunities to the next generation. The hard courts demand precise adjustments, favoring crosscourt placements and controlled one–two patterns over raw power, as the medium pace grips topspin for low, skidding bounces. Qureshi’s net instincts complement Murtaza’s baseline aggression, their setup evolving through quick volleys and poach attempts to disrupt opponents’ rhythms.
“I have an inner peace with tennis,” Qureshi reflected. “Like all tennis players, I would have liked to have won more matches, but I know that I have given tennis my very best. Now, I am so blessed to have a new purpose. My mission is to develop tennis in Pakistan and help other Pakistanis reach the ATP Tour. This ATP Challenger, while it might be just another stop on the tennis tour for the players, is the cornerstone of our future foundation.”
Legs weaken amid clutch escapes
The veteran’s twilight creeps in gradually, with legs that once exploded into kick serves now resisting deep bends and late-set thrusts. Qureshi’s career relied on a first serve that delivered in pressure, but in the first round against Timofei Derepasko and Ivan Gretskiy, it wavers under the hard courts’ unforgiving grip. At 6–7, 4–5, 15/40, three match points threaten, the Russians’ deep crosscourt returns forcing defensive chips and strained retrieves.
Murtaza steps forward, his three booming first serves down the T erasing the danger, the topspin biting for awkward hops that buy precious time. They claim the match tie-break 10–7, a survival forged in poached volleys and resilient returns, where the surface’s even tempo extends rallies just enough for turnarounds. Ball boys, shaped by cricket fields, snatch those scorching deliveries with poised hands, their efficiency mirroring the event’s smooth undercurrents.
“Aqeel and I have had our time in the spotlight,” he said. “We have had many wonderful memories together. Now it is time to give the youngsters an opportunity to play with the big boys.”
Baton passes toward spring renewal
Islamabad’s jacaranda trees stand barren in winter’s hold, their limbs a quiet promise of purple blooms come spring, much like the hopes pinned on this Challenger for Pakistan tennis. Qureshi highlights the unseen efforts in hosting, from logistics to local fervor, efforts players often miss in their tour nomadicism. The reward, he stresses, lies in the lasting impact, nurturing talents to chase ATP breakthroughs.
“As players we travel from tournament to tournament oftentimes without realizing all the criteria, details and effort that it takes to host an event,” Qureshi continued. “Especially so, for the first time. There is a tremendous amount of work, but the reward and the positive impact that having an ATP event will have on Pakistan tennis is so worth the stress.”
Murtaza’s pivotal serves not only extend the farewell but embody the generational handoff, easing the elder’s load as crowd energy swells in this milestone venue. The tournament’s intensity yields to visions of sustained growth, where Qureshi’s peace, earned through tactical battles and emotional depths, guides emerging players beyond the baseline into a brighter competitive horizon.
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