Despite threats of ban, Pakistani player teams with Israeli for doubles.(Chicago Tribune)

WIMBLEDON, England_They were two typical guys on the challenger circuit trying to scrape by and make it to a main draw when they became friends three years ago. Two weeks ago, it just seemed to make sense that Amir Hadad and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi join forces and try to qualify for the Wimbledon doubles draw.

"We've known each other for a long, long time," Hadad said. "I know Aisam is very good on grass, and has a good serve and a good volley. And I also like him as a person. It's always fun, you know, to be with somebody that you like on the court. We have fun together, and that's it."

Well, not exactly. Hadad happens to be an Israeli and Qureshi a Pakistani.

If a Muslim and a Jew playing tennis together wasn't enough in and of itself to stir interest during one of the bloodiest periods in their peoples' recent history, then the reaction back home surely would.

And it surely did.

After Hadad and Qureshi advanced to the third round here _ the furthest for any Pakistani player in a Grand Slam event _ Pakistani sports officials officially condemned the pairing and threatened Qureshi with a ban.

The way Qureshi and Hadad reacted Monday_like a couple of young guys with anything but politics on their minds_will no doubt anger people in their respective countries, and probably beyond. It may well puzzle Americans who have wrapped politics, patriotism and sport into a single package these last nine months.