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| September 22, 2002 | Sunday | Rajab 14, 1423 |
Aisam-Aqeel give Pakistan 2-1 lead
PESHAWAR, Sept 21: Pakistan were sensing a place in group I of Davis Cup Asia/Oceania after Aisam-ul-Haq and Aqeel Khan pulled off a magnificent come-from-behind victory over Chinese pair of Wang Yu and Zeng Shao Xuan to put the home team 2-1 ahead in the final of the zone two at the PAF grass court Saturday.
The Pakistani boys saved two match points in the fourth set while trailing 2-5 to pull off an outstanding 6-7 (7-3) 7-5 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 12-10 in an epic four hours and 55 minutes thriller.
“We are fortunate to get this doubles but there is a lot of tennis to be played in the reverse singles on Sunday,” Pakistan coach Rasheed Malik said, adding: “We are lucky because we were down 5-2 in the fourth set and had to save two match points but I salute my players for not giving up.”
In the reverse singles on Sunday, Aisam will take on Zhu Ben Qiang whereas Aqeel will face Wang Yu. The match will commence at 10.00am. But Aisam would once again be carrying Pakistan hopes on his shoulders and is expected to come out winner from his match.
Aisam is rich in experience and has the temperament and mental toughness to excel in these situations. If ever Pakistan can eye a place in the prestigious group one, it is this time.
But Sunday will be the test of stamina, endurance and physical fitness of the Pakistani boys who were engaged in a court battle Thursday also.
Aisam, who won his singles game in straight sets Thursday, was once again at his brilliant best when he took command of the court and successfully defended Aqeel who was strategically targeted by the Chinese duo.
Aisam never dropped his serve and instead fired in thunderbolts at regular intervals while his passing shots and returns were a treat to watch. His forehand shots in particular remained dangerous throughout the match as most of his winners came from this stronger area of his game.
Aqeel might have been overshadowed in the presence of a celebrity, but he certainly produced his best. Although he struggled with his serves, Aqeel provided the much needed cushion and support for Aisam to call the shots on the opponents.
If the players sweat in hot conditions in pursuit of glory, the spectators had their money’s worth when they witnessed the most fiercely contested match. At times, the referee had to intervene and request the spectators to keep their cool and maintain silence.
But everyone broke free when the Pakistani pair successfully served out the match. The coach, players and spectators thronged the court and lifted the visibly drained and tired looking Aisam and Aqeel on their shoulders.
The excitement and delight the tennis fans showed reflected how much pride this sports mad country takes in the success in any sport. Naturally, the morale of the sports enthusiasts is down after a pathetic performance by the cricket team on international level. But today’s victory certainly brought smiles on their faces and surely made the followers of the game to temporarily forget the cricket disappointments.
While the thriller forced the spectators to catch the edge of their seats, it was not controversy free when both the teams objected to certain line calls. Nevertheless, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) referee showed professionalizm and patience while tackling with the objections and kept the match under control.
US still alive
PARIS: The United States kept alive their Davis Cup final hopes when a gamble by captain Patrick McEnroe to play James Blake in the doubles led to a 2-6 7-6 2-6 6-4 6-4 win over champions France Saturday, Reuters adds.
Blake nursed Todd Martin through long stretches of a thrilling three hour 16 minute match against Mickael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
Mardy Fish was originally named to play with Martin. But an hour before the match McEnroe decided to use Blake, who had lost his singles on the opening day against Sebastien Grosjean to give France a 2-0 lead.
Blake’s athleticism proved the vital element against the French pairing. The United States have never come back from 2-0 down to win a Davis Cup tie since the world group format was introduced in the early 1980s.
The winners will play either Russia, who lead 2-0 in the other semi-final, or Argentina in the final, starting on Nov 29.
In Karlsruhe, Germany, Three-times champions Germany escaped relegation by taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Venezuela Saturday.
David Prinosil and Nicolas Kiefer outplayed Jose de Armas and Jimy Szymanski 6-1 6-3 6-0 in the doubles match to make sure the home side would win the tie whatever the outcome of Sunday’s reverse singles.
Rainer Schuettler crushed De Armas 6-1 6-1 6-1 before Tommy Haas beat Szymanski 6-1 6-2 6-1 in Friday’s opening singles.
Germany, who won the Davis Cup in 1988, 1989 and 1993, were in danger of dropping out of the world group after losing 4-1 to Croatia in a first round tie last February in Zagreb.
WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS
US 2 France 1
WORLD GROUP QUALIFIERS
Australia 3 India 0
Germany 3 Venezuela 0
Switzerland 2 Morocco 1
WORLD GROUP (PLAY-OFF)
Zimbabwe 1 Belgium 2
Finland 0 Netherlands 3
Slovakia 1 Romania 1
Brazil 2 Canada 0
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP ONE RELEGATION PLAYOFF
South Korea 3 Lebanon 0
ASIA/OCEANIA GROUP TWO FINAL
Pakistan 2 China 1
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