Shahzad Khan & Heera Ashiq Make It To The Davis Cup Team

The PTF recently held trials to select two players for the vacant places in the Davis Cup Team to play against Uzbekistan in early April

Islamabad(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Mar, 2018 ) The PTF recently held trials to select two players for the vacant places in the Davis Cup Team to play against Uzbekistan in early April. Of the three highest ranked national players, after Aqeel Khan, participating, Shahzad Khan and Heera Ashiq made it to the team, winning over M.

Abid Mushtaq by the slimmest margin, eventually on a head-to-head win count, as all three were holding the same number of match wins. In the last match, Shahzad Khan beat Heera Ashiq 6-1, 6-2. Earlier, Heera had beaten M.

Abid 7-6, 6-3, and M. Abid had won over Shahzad Khan with a score of 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. The two winners will join Aisam ul Haq Qureshi, Aqeel Khan and Muzammil Murtaza to complete the number of five players now permitted in a team.

Selection trials were held on the grass courts of the Aisam ul Haq Tennis Complex in the sports Complex, Islamabad, from the 17th till the 19th of March. The President PTF, Mr. Salim Saifullah Khan, was keen to have the three top juniors also attend the trials for exposure and experience gained from playing with our top players but the plan couldn’t materialize due the top junior player, Shoaib Khan, playing the JDC event in Colombo and to sit for his exams on return, the Inter-Provincial Games being held in Peshawar wherein the two other juniors were participating, and due to the access restrictions at the Sports Complex courts on account of the 23rd March Parade rehearsals.

It is planned to invite them again when trials are held in the future. With Aqeel Khan and Muzammil already in Islamabad, all players will be travelling to Lahore to play in the Sheheryar Malik National Grass Courts Championships, from the 25th to the 31st March, being organized by the PLTA.

The Davis Cup Team players will also be holding practice and training sessions during the course of the tournament. On return to Islamabad, they will, again, get another 4 days or so to train on grass before the Davis Cup Tie on 6 and 7 April.

The timely tournament in Lahore will allow the players continuity of playing on grass which should be of considerable benefit for all. Aisam ul Haq is expected to join the team in end-March or early April upon arrival from overseas.