Davis Cup: Pakistan drop back to Group II

Team relegated after losing doubles match to New Zealand on day two

KARACHI: Pakistan will have to start all over again in the Davis Cup’s Group II of the Asia Oceania Zone next year as the team, yesterday, lost its Group I relegation tie 3-0 to New Zealand at the Z Energy Wilding Park Tennis Centre in Christchurch.

Captain Aqeel Khan and Abid Ali Akbar lost to Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 in the crucial doubles rubber on the second day of the tie.

Pakistan — who are without star player Aisamul Haq Qureshi — had already been dominated by New Zealand on day one when Akbar lost his singles match 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 to Jose Statham and Finn Tearney outplayed Samir Iftikhar 6-2, 6-0, 6-0 in the second singles match.



A win in the all-important doubles match would have given Pakistan a chance to push the tie to the last day, but that was not to be.

Besides ruing the fact that they had to play their home tie in New Zealand instead of Pakistan or at a neutral venue, the players admitted that the loss delivered a big blow to their confidence.

“It’s one of the worst defeats I have experienced,” captain Aqeel Khan told The Express Tribune after the match. “We really had no chance this time. We thought we had prepared enough but the result just shows how far behind we are. It’s hard to cope with the fact that we haven’t been able to retain our place in this group. We played in Group I after nine years, but now we’re back to where we were.”



Meanwhile, seasoned player Aisam said he stood by his decision to skip the tie to take a stand against the International Tennis Federation’s persistent rejection of Pakistan’s plea to play their ties at home.

He reiterated his conviction that the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) let the players down by agreeing to play in New Zealand due to an apparent lack of funds to hold the tie at a neutral venue.



“I made the right choice by not going to New Zealand,” said Aisam. “I will stick by my decision to protest the prejudice we have to face when it comes to hosting our home ties.”

He added, “PTF needs to do better. Saying we don’t have money to hold the tie at neutral venues is not an excuse; it’s their job to find a solution to this problem instead of pushing players like this.”

Iftikhar and Akbar will play the last day’s reverse singles matches today.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2016.

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