India’s Leander Paes and Aisam Qureshi of Pakistan during a training session in Mumbai on Tuesday. (AFP)

Mumbai: Aisam Qureshi was in China playing a Davis Cup zonal play-off tie last week when he got a call from the US. “Will you be my partner in Mumbai?” he was asked. The Pakistani, who had been contemplating pairing up with Rohan Bopanna, jumped at the idea — because the man at the other end was Leander Paes.

“It’s an absolute honour to be playing with Leander… I’ve never played with such an accomplished doubles player before,” Qureshi said at a media conference on Tuesday afternoon shortly after a brief workout with his Indian partner.

It’s kind of a dream come true for Qureshi, who had been waiting for an opportunity to be the Indian star’s partner. “I had told him about my wish a few times, but we couldn’t make it happen. Inshallah, we’ll have a good tournament.”

Asked what he was looking to learn from him, Qureshi said: “I have everything to gain, absolutely nothing to lose.”

Is there any team in the draw he is wary of? “Why should I be scared? The other teams have to worry about us because of the Leander factor,” quipped the Pakistani Davis Cupper who had not been able to deny China a 5-0 sweep last weekend.

Qureshi has very fond memories of Mumbai. Five and a half months ago, he won both his singles rubbers against India at the CCI itself, though that tie was held on a grasscourt. Pakistan lost that tie 2-3, courtesy captain Paes’ dramatic five-set win over Aqueel Khan in the decider.

Qureshi is itching for a chance to face India at home. “First of course, we have to get back to group I,” Qureshi remarked. The defeat against China demoted Pakistan to group II of the Asia-Oceania zone.

The only time the jolly-natured man turned serious was when the question of tennis in Pakistan cropped up.

“There’s hardly any interest in tennis at home, the government doesn’t do much also. I’ve been on my own since I took up the game,” Qureshi observed with more than a tinge of bitterness.