UAE in do-or-die battle to save Davis Cup spot
Loss to Malaysia makes win against Turkmenistan crucial to avoid possible relegation
The UAE caved in to their third straight loss making their survival in Group III all that more difficult after they caved in 1-2 against Malaysia in the Asia-Oceania Davis Cup being held in Sri Lanka.
Yesterday’s loss along with identical 1-2 results against Qatar and Lebanon on the first two days leaves the UAE with the sole hope of beating Turkmenistan when the two teams play at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts in Colombo today.
A win would help the UAE end fourth in Pool B, while giving them an additional opportunity of fighting in the relegation play-off tie against the fourth best team in Pool A. “We tried our best and we knew since our promotion to Group III in Jordan last year that it was never going to be easy for us this year. But we are still fighting and trying our best to get our first win of this competition. It’s our third loss unfortunately with the same 2-1 scoreline,” UAE coach Hichem Bramly told Gulf News from Colombo.
“Our match against Turkmenistan tomorrow will decide who ends at the bottom of the pool. Turkmenistan is also not going to be easy, but we will be fighting for our first win,” he added.
Lebanon were at the top of Pool B with three wins out of three after they secured a 3-0 result against Qatar. Malaysia and Qatar were joint second with two wins and a loss but, with Qatar playing a late game yesterday, to complete their unfinished tie against Turkmenistan, there was every chance things could change.
The top two teams will be promoted to Group II, while the last two teams will be relegated to Group IV during the 2018 season. In all likelihood, the UAE will be joined by Syria and Pacific Oceania in the fight to avoid relegation for 2018. “Friday’s match against Turkmenistan will be the most important one. If we win we get to play the last team from Pool A, and that will be a much better option for us,” Bramly said.
In yesterday’s action, Hamad Abbas Al Janahi looked a bit rusty following a long layoff as he gave in meekly 1-6, 1-6 in just over an hour against Mohammad Assri Merzuki. However, Omar Bahroozian dug in deep to bring the UAE back level with a hard-fought 7-6 (6), 0-6, 6-0 win against Ahmad Dedat Abdul Razak.
In the deciding doubles, Hamad Abbas Al Janahi and Fahad Al Janahi fought well before going down 2-6, 4-6 against the Malaysian pairing of Christian Didier Chin and Merzuki.
“With two more days of play remaining, it is now all down to us as a team. We need to refocus and pull ourselves together and ensure we win against Turkmenistan first and then either Syria or Pacific Oceania to avoid the drop back into Group IV. I believe this is achievable as we have put in a lot of hard work into this squad,” Bramly noted.