U16 team kicks off Davis Cup campaign with win

Junior tennis squad impresses with victory over Kyrgyzstan.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s junior squad began its under-16 Davis Cup campaign by beating Kyrgyzstan 3-0 in the Asia-Oceania zone pre-qualifying round in Kuching, Malaysia.

Nofil Kaleem won the opening singles rubber against Akhadzhon Yusupov 6-0, 6-0 while Muzammil Murtaza defeated Adilbek Mamatov 6-4, 6-4 as Pakistan led the tie 2-0.

The team secured victory in their group match as Muzammil and Abdaal Haider won against Namazbek Diushembiev and Yusupov 6-1, 6-1 in the doubles rubber.

With the win, the team progressed to the quarter-finals of the qualifying stage where it will take on Group A’s strongest team Kazakhstan today.

Nofil, Muzammil and Abdaal have already qualified for the next round in the under-14 World Juniors Tennis tournament matches earlier this week.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.