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KARACHI: Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi on Friday kept his Olympic hopes alive by reaching the third round of the men’s doubles event at the French Open tennis tournament along with partner Rojer Jean-Julien in Paris.

Aisam, who is hoping against hope to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in London, played the lead role in the duo’s impressive 2-1 triumph over Germany’s Bjorn Phau and Canada’s Adil Shamasdin.

Aisam needs a good result in Paris to have any hopes of making the cut for London 2012. He has to somehow regain a place in the top-10 world doubles rankings to qualify for the Olympics along with compatriot Aqeel Khan. Pakistan have never featured in an Olympic tennis event.

On Friday, Aisam and Rojer were in their element as they overcame tough resistance from their opponents to move into the next stage of the tournament. They won 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 to enter the next round.

The Aisam-Rojer pair will now face the duo of Treat Conrad Huey of Philipines and Dominic Inglot of Great Britain, who are ranked 45 and 125 in individual doubles rankings, in the pre-quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tournament. This is Aisam’s last chance to earn enough points to get a berth at the London Olympics set to begin on July 27.

Aisam, ranked 16, is trying hard to win enough points by June 11 so that he can make his individual doubles ranking better in order to be considered for an Olympic berth by the International Olympic Committee.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/