ISLAMABAD (APP) – Pakistan has made it to the final of Davis Cup after thumping Indonesia in the semi-final by 3-1.
According to a Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Spokesperson this was a decisive victory as winning the final is crucial for Pakistan’s ranking in international tennis. Winning the final will elevate Pakistan from Group 2 to Group 1.
“Being the Semi-Final of the Asia-Oceania Zone, the win was a very significant one for Pakistan, especially given the extreme hot and humid conditions in Jakarta and the Indonesian Team enjoying the home courts and crowd advantage,” he said.
On the final day of the Tie, saw young Abid Ali Akbar take on David Susanto in the first Reverse Singles match of the day. Playing aggressive, yet controlled, tennis with a positive attitude, Abid displayed some sparkling tennis to grab victory in four sets with a score-card that reads 6-0, 7-6, 0-6, 6-2.
With the win, Pakistan clinched the Tie 3-1, after which the ITF Match Referee declared the last singles match as redundant and, thus, not required to be played.
Team Pakistan comprised Aqeel Khan, Samir Iftikhar and Muhammad Abid Ali Akbar, with veteran Davis Cupper Hameed-ul-Haq as the non-playing Captain.
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, a leading light of Pakistan tennis, could not participate in this tie due to an unfortunate knee injury. The Tie started on July 14 with both singles being bagged by Pakistani players Aqeel Khan and Samir Iftikhar, in four and five set matches, respectively, against the top notch Indonesian players.
Aqeel, with years of experience behind him, and Samir, the in-form youngster, displayed an excellent level of tennis to secure a solid lead for their country.
The Doubles, on July 15, was another marathon affair which ended with a victory for the Indonesians in a five sets thriller. Pakistan will be playing against Taiwan and Philippines in the final.
The President, PTF, Salim Saifullah Khan has extended heartiest congratulations, on behalf of all members of the PTF, to the team members, and the entire tennis fraternity in Pakistan, on the brilliant performance by the players and the astute guidance and strategies by Hameed-ul-Haq, the Captain.
While applauding another brilliant performance by the experienced Aqeel Khan, the President expressed his delight at the superb performance of the two young players, Samir and Abid, who have emerged as leading players for the future of Pakistan tennis.
