Third seed Japan oust Pakistan to secure place in 2022 Davis Cup Qualifiers
Japan maintained their unblemished record against Pakistan by winning the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group I tie 4-0 at the Pakistan Sports Complex grass courts, Islamabad.
Third seed Japan maintained their unblemished record against Pakistan by winning the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group I tie 4-0 at the Pakistan Sports Complex grass courts, Islamabad.
Japan's No. 1 Yosuke Watanuki easily prevailed over Pakistan's No. 2 Aqeel Khan (111 matches) 6-3 6-2 in the opening game to make it 1-0.
World no. 317 Kaichi Uchida, who is Japan’s no.2 then downed Pakistan’s top player & world no. 49 in doubles ranking Aisam Qureshi (95 matches) to get the 2-0 lead for Japan with a 6-4 7-6(4) victory.
17-year-old Wimbledon 2019 Junior Champion Shintaro Mochizuki alongside Sho Shimabukuro displayed some exciting shots during the double win against experienced Aisam-ul-Haq & Aqeel Khan, both the players have represented Pakistan in over 90 Davis Cup matches in a career spanning over two decades, winning the doubles 4-6 6-4 6-2 to take the tie with an unassailable 3-0 lead.
In a relatively insignificant reverse singles, world no. 338 Yuta Shimizu made light work of Muzammil Murtaza 6-1 6-1 to give his team a decisive 4-0 win in the tie.
With this win, Japan has retained a clean sheet against Pakistan, winning all four of the Davis Cup ties held so far between the two countries, and booked its place in the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Qualifiers.
Pakistan’s next Davis Cup outing will be in the World Group I Play-offs in February 2022.
Pakistan vs Japan Davis Cup Group I tie 2021 Results:
| Date | Rubber | Fixture | Score line |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2021 | RUBBER 1 | Yosuke Watanuki def Aqeel Khan | 6-3 6-2 |
| March 5, 2021 | RUBBER 2 | Kaichi Uchida def Aisam Qureshi | 6-4 7-6(4) |
| March 6, 2021 | RUBBER 3 | Shintaro Mochizuki & Yosuke Watanuki def Aqeel Khan & Aisam Qureshi | 4-6 6-4 6-2 |
| March 6, 2021 | RUBBER 4 | Yuta Shimizu def Muzammil Murtaza | 6-1, 6-1 |
| March 6, 2021 | RUBBER 5 | Aqeel Khan vs Kaichi Uchida | Not played |
