Q. Congratulations on your first ATP doubles career title. It was long overdue wasn't it? How did it feel?

A. Thanks a lot. It was a great feeling to finally do it. My partner, Rohan Bopanna and I had played and lost two very close finals, one in 2007 and one in 2008. We always knew we had it in us to go all the way. Rohan is a very good friend and I wanted to win my first title with him.

Q. It seems that Rohan and you share good on-court chemistry. Why don't you play together more?

A. In the past we always focused on our singles careers. I finished 125th at the end of 2007 and wanted to break into the top 100. So doubles took a back seat. But also in 2007 we won five Challenger tournaments in a row which made us realise that we could do well if we concentrated — it was only a matter of putting our heads together. From now on we have decided to focus on doubles and our schedules are based on doubles tournaments. We played some very close matches at this year's Australian Open and Dubai Open and won our first title at Johannesburg last month.

Q. Why do you think you have been more successful at doubles than singles?

A. I wouldn't say that. I have beaten some of the world's top ranking players in singles like Mardy Fish of USA and Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand. I grew up playing tennis on grass, so I am used to fast surfaces. But the format of the game has changed a lot now and has made way for a much slower game. This is the reason why I haven't done as well as I could have in recent years. However, my serve and volley game is now helping me tremendously in doubles.

Q. Your fans wonder why you haven't been more successful on the ATP tour, especially since you have the talent. What would you say to that?

A. I think it was because of a lack of right guidance while growing up, mixed with a few not bad but immature decisions. Also when I got to 125th, I was working with a foreign coach who I didn't really gel with. But I feel I have been very successful in promoting the sport in Pakistan and putting the country on the tennis map, and that is really my biggest achievement.

Q. Tennis is one of the few professions of the world where at age 25 people start asking players when they will retire. Have you given much thought to retiring?

A. Retiring is very far from my mind. No chance at the moment. Right now I am enjoying myself a lot. Physically sportsmen from the subcontinent mature at a later age. Look at Wasim Akram and Imran Khan for instance. And Sachin Tendulkar has played his best one-day knock just a few days ago. I feel that I am stronger than ever before now. So I think I can still win a lot of laurels for my country. Plus Canada's Daniel Nestor, the current number 1 doubles player is 37 years old so I don't consider age to be a bar for me.

Q. What are your plans for the rest of the year?

A. I am now at my highest doubles career ranking of 51st and I hope to finish in the top 20 by the end of the year. I also hope to play my first grand slam quarterfinal and to get Pakistan back into Davis Cup Group 1.

Q. A lot of the top ranked players have been able to juggle family and tennis very well. What about you?

A. True they have. But before tying the knot they did get to spend a lot of time travelling together, which is not possible for me to do. Most importantly though I haven't met the right person as yet. With a schedule like mine, where I am out of Pakistan 300 days of the year, its hard to meet someone special who is ready cope with me not being around much.