The country’s top tennis player Aqeel Khan has described the playing conditions against South Korea in the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Zone group two second round tie on the latter’s soil as ‘tough’.
“The weather was humid and rain disrupted the play in Gimcheon city,” Aqeel, who returned from Seoul on Tuesday evening, told Dawn.
Pakistan, who whipped Hong Kong 3-2 in the first round, was blanked 4-0 by the hosts as Pakistan decided against playing the last reverse singles.
He said after conceding the first two singles on slow hard courts on the first day of the three-day rubber, rain compelled the organisers to shift the doubles indoor on synthetic court which was played in the morning of third day instead of the second.
After Pakistan lost the doubles and the tie, they decided to give chance to reserve players – Yasir and Samir – in the reverse singles, he said, adding that though the former played and lost straight, the latter refused citing shoulder problem and twisted ankle.
The Koreans, he said, have shown marked improvement and it would be difficult to beat them, particularly in the away tie in the years to come.
Aqeel’s doubles partner, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, expressed his disappointment over Pakistan’s performance in the Davis Cup.
“It was a pretty disappointing result for us because we tried very hard and played hard but luck did not favour us at all,” he said.
He pointed out that being forced to play away from home had affected the team’s performance in the elite Davis Cup event.
He said in present circumstances Pakistani players have to go abroad and play and they do not get enough time for adjustments.
Aqeel said he will travel from Lahore to Islamabad to compete in the Aisam-ul-Haq trophy which begins from July 18.
news covered by dawn sports
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