0
PESHAWAR, Sept 20: Honours were shared on the opening day as hosts Pakistan and China were locked 1-1 after the singles matches of the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Zone Group II final played at PAF grass court Friday.
China’s number one Zhu Ben Qiang, who needed treatment in the fourth set, put the visitors 1-0 ahead beating Pakistan’s number two Aqeel Khan 6-1, 6-1, 6-7, 7-6. But home team’s number one Aisamul Haq Qureishi levelled the tie as he outclassed China’s number two Wang Yu in the second singles 6-2,6-3,6-2.
Peshawar-born Aqeel surprisingly surrendered the first two sets tamely. He, howevewr, bounced back to clinch the third and could have taken the fourth set too but committed unforced errors to give his Chinese rival the set and the match.
It was a different story in the second singles when national champion Aisamul showed his class to completely outplay Wang Yu in every facet of the game. The Chinese player failed to handle Aisam’s booming serves who hammered 14 aces.
The match was supervised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) referee Hiro Yahata.
Earlier, the Davis Cup was declared open by the President of NWFP Lawn Tennis Association, Abdul Samad Khan. NWFP Chief Secretary Shakil Durrani.
Today Aisam and Aqeel will face Wang Yu and Zeng Shao Xuan in the crucial doubles match that could well decide the outcome of the tie. The match will start at 12.
US FACE DEFEAT
PARIS: Champions France roared to the brink of their third Davis Cup final in four years on Friday when young Americans Andy Roddick and James Blake fell victim to claycourt guile and experience at the home of French tennis, adds Reuters.
Sebastien Grosjean handed France a 2-0 lead after quelling a brave James Blake comeback 6-4 6-1 6-7 7-5 — the American appeared a broken man in the second set and was forced to save three match points in the third set tiebreak.
Earlier Arnaud Clement lost the first four games against a rampant Andy Roddick but wore down the power-hitting 20-year-old with his double-handed backhand to win 4-6 7-6 7-6 6-1.
The Americans, who have never won in Paris in the century-long history of the competition, have never come back from 2-0 down to win a tie since the world group format was introduced in the early 1970s.
OTHER RESULTS:
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Australia 2 India 0
Germany 2 Venezuela 0
Zimbabwe 0 Belgium 2
Great Britain 1 Thailand 1
PLAY-OFF
Finland 0 Netherlands 1
Morocco 1 Switzerland 1
Slovakia 1 Romania 0
SEMIFINALS:
France 2 USA 0
Russia 2 Argentina 0
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP ONE (RELEGATION PLAY-OFF)
South Korea 2 Lebanon 0
ASIAN/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP TWO FINAL
Pakistan 1 China 1
