Samir Iftikhar is a young aspiring tennis player from Pakistan. He is deemed as a special talent and has already won the clay court championship. He is the son of former Davis Cup player, Tayyab Iftikhar. He has been Pakistan's top junior player on the ITF circuit and has represented Pakistan in the Davis Cup ties alongside the likes of Aqeel Khan and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. He is currently studying in the University of New Mexico on a sports scholarship and has won four ITF junior titles. Samir is the grandson of great Indo-Pak tennis legend Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmad and first cousin of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.Net, Samir spoke about how he got into the sport, his long term goals and the difficulty of studying and forging a tennis career at the same time.

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by Farid Khan (19th January 2014) 

PakPassion.net: How has your father helped you in becoming a professional tennis player? 

Samir Iftikhar: When I was younger, I was always involved in many different sports, with no particular focus. However, my father was insistent that I focused on tennis, to follow in his and my grandfather's footsteps. He also gave me the idea of eventually moving to America to play for a university on a tennis scholarship, which he did at my age. He's always been one of my biggest supporters and I certainly would not have achieved what I have in this sport without his hard work and influence.


PakPassion.net: What are the perks and pitfalls of being a son of a professional tennis player? 

Samir Iftikhar: I think the main advantage is that I have always been exposed to tennis to some extent. It was also helpful to have someone so close to me who knows about and loves the sport. My mother also played a lot of tennis when she was younger so both of my parents have had a significant positive influence on my tennis career. The only disadvantage I can think of is that there was always a lot expected of me; particularly to follow in the footsteps of my father and his father, who both played in the Davis Cup for Pakistan. That expectation turned out to be a good thing though, as I was able to do the same thing myself.


PakPassion.net: You are touted as an incredible young tennis player! Do you think you have lived up to this tag?

Samir Iftikhar: I appreciate the compliment, but that's not for me to say. There are many better players than me out there, and I'm just trying to focus on getting better every day. I think that results should speak for themselves, and I certainly have a long way to go before I should be considered "incredible." 


PakPassion.net: Have you ever taken any advice from Aisam Qureshi and how do you rate him as a player?

Samir Iftikhar: I haven't been able to spend as much time with Aisam as I would have liked to because of his professional commitments and the fact that I have lived in the UK for most of my life. But I was lucky enough to go with him on a couple of trips for Davis Cup ties, and he had plenty of good advice for me that I have always kept in mind. He's a huge talent and a great tennis player, and his many achievements speak for themselves. 


PakPassion.net: Will you be willing to represent Pakistan in future? 

Samir Iftikhar: Yes. Given the opportunity, I would like to do so. 


PakPassion.net: What has been the best moment of your tennis career? 

Samir Iftikhar: Winning all of my matches in the Davis Cup trials to make my debut for Pakistan was a special moment for my family and I. I know it's something that my father always dreamed of. 


PakPassion.net: Who were your favourite players when you were growing up? 

Samir Iftikhar: Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and David Ferrer.


PakPassion.net: Why do you admire David Ferrer so much and prefer him to the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray?

Samir Iftikhar: The thing about David Ferrer that I like is his tenacity and hard work. The other guys also work very hard, but they are also much more genetically gifted than Ferrer. Ferrer is the only one of those few you mentioned who is less than 6 feet tall, but his great work ethic enables him to compete with these guys, even if he is at a disadvantage with his height. Ferrer represents hard work, rather than pure talent, which is a good example for everyone regardless of their natural attributes. 


PakPassion.net: What are your expectations from this year?

Samir Iftikhar: To continue to improve my game, to represent my university well, and to finish my degree. I also hope to play in my first professional events, and get my first ATP points.


PakPassion.net: How difficult is it to study along with playing professional tennis? 

Samir Iftikhar: It's a real challenge, as there is very little time for anything other than school work and tennis. But it is very rewarding and it has helped me to develop many important life skills. It's tough, but an amazing experience at the same time. 


PakPassion.net: What's your dream as a tennis professional?

Samir Iftikhar: I want to play in the main draw at a Grand Slam.

  Discuss!