Muzammil Murtaza ousts Shoaib to keep Davis Cup Pakistan team hopes alive
Title winner of the recently concluded Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Tournament 2020, Muzammil Murtaza’s vigorous victory against Mohammad Shoaib kept hope alive of making it to the Davis Cup team for the World Group I tie.
The trials to select a three-member Pakistan team for the World Group Davis Cup tie against Japan is being played at the PTF Complex, Islamabad.
The trials are being conducted on round-robin league basis with each player playing the other.
On the third day of trails, Muzammil Murtaza consistently stroked power shots at Shoaib, who could only return a defensive ball. Muzammil showed his class by hitting soft balls close to the baseline to keep alive his chances of making it to the Davis Cup team for the World Group I tie.
Title winner of the recently concluded Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Tournament 2020, Muzammil Murtaza from Multan won the encounter with the final score line of 6-4, 6-1.
Ahmed Chaudhry pulverized over Mudassir Murtaza with the final scores of 7-5, 6-3. Heera Ashiq got a walkover against Barkatullah as he was injured and failed to show up for the trials. Barkatullah, who replaced Mohammad Abid, has been ruled out of the trials.
Leading players Aisam ul Haq and Pakistan No. 1 Aqeel Khan are automatically selected for the Davis Cup World Group 1 tie against Japan, to be held at the Pakistan Sports Complex grass courts in Islamabad on March 5-6.
In a last Davis cup tie, Pakistan suffered a 0-4 defeat at the hands of India in their Asia/Oceania Group I tie while Japan were beaten 3-0 in their qualifiers contest with Ecuador in March.
Pakistan's best Davis Cup performance came in 2005, when it reached the World Group play-offs. It was also one step away from qualifying for the World Group when losing the 1984 Eastern Zone Final against Japan.
