August 06, 2007	Monday	Rajab 21, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 5: Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq and his partner, the Indian player Rohan Bopanna, achieved a hat-trick of victories in tennis doubles after winning the Castilla y Leon ATP Super Challenger in Segovia, Spain.

Aisam and Bopanna took on Michel Kratochvil of Switzerland and Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the final, winning by 7-6 (8), 6-3.

Holding the serves, the rivals entered the tie-breaker and the Asian pair, after taking a 4-2 lead, was caught up at 5-5. They met again at 7-7, before Aisam and Bopanna wrapped up the first set with 10-8.

The second set was again a tight contest with both sides holding their service games uneventfully up to a score of 4-3, whereupon the Asians broke their opponents’ serve to lead by 5-3 and then holding their own, completed the win.

The win brings Aisam’s doubles ranking just inside the 130 mark, and a successful past couple of months have left his singles ranking just outside the top 150.

He is said to be returning to Pakistan on Monday morning for a few days rest before heading off to New York for the US Open Grand Slam Tennis Championship.