<p>Having enjoyed its most fruitful year together, the Indo-Pak Express is looking forward to a better 2011 which the two will kick-off with the Chennai Open. Bopanna-Qureshi are slated to meet Brazilian- Argentine pair of Marcos Daniel and Eduarado Schwank in their opening round on Tuesday here at the Nungambakkam Stadium.<br /><br />“I’m totally committed to Rohan for the year,” said Qureshi, raising peels of laughter during their joint press conference on Monday. “We need to show others that doubles is all about partnerships and a combination shouldn’t be broken when the chips are down. The strength of a team is shown when it sticks together even when things are not going its way,” pointed out the Pakistani.<br /><br />Bopanna echoed his partner’s views. “2010 was the first year when we actually focussed on basic drills and specifics of doubles. And winning the title at Johannesburg really changed things a lot for us. It gave us a lot of confidence and we believed we can actually win at the highest level,” he pointed out.<br /><br />Bopanna-Qureshi proved that it was not a misplaced confidence as they entered the US final where they went down fighting to Bryan brothers, the US success coming on the back of duo’s appearance in Wimbledon quarters. Their higher rank -- at eight on the ATP doubles -- now ensures the twosome direct entries into all the Slams and Master Series, a luxury that will help them plan their schedule better. “Our ranking now helps us to play all the nine Masters Series events -- we played in just two last year -- and this makes a huge difference in terms of points and rankings. We are looking forward to playing in them and the Slams as well. And Inshallah, we will win our first major this year.<br /><br />“We played well throughout last year and pretty much beat every team in the top 10. We just have to try and do that on a consistent basis. And hopefully, we will win our first major together soon. I hope the Indo-Pak Express keeps on rolling so that we can win more laurels for both the countries while simultaneously spreading the message of peace,” remarked Qureshi.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Bopanna and Qureshi launched their official ‘Stop War Start Tennis’ merchandise on the occasion. Introducing a newly designed logo, Bopanna said: What started as a simple statement has now become a world-wide campaign. This is a great opportunity for us to connect with our fans and we are thrilled to finally launch the merchandise.”<br /><br />Part of the sale proceeds will go for charity works that Bopanna and Qureshi support in their respective countries.</p>
<p>Having enjoyed its most fruitful year together, the Indo-Pak Express is looking forward to a better 2011 which the two will kick-off with the Chennai Open. Bopanna-Qureshi are slated to meet Brazilian- Argentine pair of Marcos Daniel and Eduarado Schwank in their opening round on Tuesday here at the Nungambakkam Stadium.<br /><br />“I’m totally committed to Rohan for the year,” said Qureshi, raising peels of laughter during their joint press conference on Monday. “We need to show others that doubles is all about partnerships and a combination shouldn’t be broken when the chips are down. The strength of a team is shown when it sticks together even when things are not going its way,” pointed out the Pakistani.<br /><br />Bopanna echoed his partner’s views. “2010 was the first year when we actually focussed on basic drills and specifics of doubles. And winning the title at Johannesburg really changed things a lot for us. It gave us a lot of confidence and we believed we can actually win at the highest level,” he pointed out.<br /><br />Bopanna-Qureshi proved that it was not a misplaced confidence as they entered the US final where they went down fighting to Bryan brothers, the US success coming on the back of duo’s appearance in Wimbledon quarters. Their higher rank -- at eight on the ATP doubles -- now ensures the twosome direct entries into all the Slams and Master Series, a luxury that will help them plan their schedule better. “Our ranking now helps us to play all the nine Masters Series events -- we played in just two last year -- and this makes a huge difference in terms of points and rankings. We are looking forward to playing in them and the Slams as well. And Inshallah, we will win our first major this year.<br /><br />“We played well throughout last year and pretty much beat every team in the top 10. We just have to try and do that on a consistent basis. And hopefully, we will win our first major together soon. I hope the Indo-Pak Express keeps on rolling so that we can win more laurels for both the countries while simultaneously spreading the message of peace,” remarked Qureshi.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Bopanna and Qureshi launched their official ‘Stop War Start Tennis’ merchandise on the occasion. Introducing a newly designed logo, Bopanna said: What started as a simple statement has now become a world-wide campaign. This is a great opportunity for us to connect with our fans and we are thrilled to finally launch the merchandise.”<br /><br />Part of the sale proceeds will go for charity works that Bopanna and Qureshi support in their respective countries.</p>
