For the third consecutive year Aqeel Khan, the country's upper level tennis player, exhibited magnificent pluck and resilience and brought a high sense of flair to give Pakistan victory over New Zealand in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup tussle.
After Aisamul Haq, the country's globe-trotting star, had been brought down by New Zealand's top-ranked player Mark Nielsen in the first reverse singles which stretched to five sets the Pakistani quartet had sad and dejected looks. Even Aqeel, in the second and crucial test of strength in the last reverse match was on the brink of defeat. Only poor visibility saved him from going down and Pakistan from relegation and humiliation. Next day playing a controlled and disciplined game and as against China and South Korea the 24-year-old Aqeel turned out to be the hero. Not putting a wrong foot against the more experienced Simon Rae of New Zealand Aqeel produced a pulsating fare to deny the Kiwi racket-wielder the needed one-set headway and success in the Davis Cup skirmish.
It was a tremendous fightback by the Pakistani whose flowing volleys unnerved Rae. Aqeel overwhelmed his rival by sheer pace of attack, dipping cross-court and deft passing shots.
Undoubtedly it was a ticklish match and everything rested on the right hand of Aqeel. He rose to the occasion with quiet toughness. While Rae time and again faltered and appeared hesitant after taking the third set, Aqeel's power and confidence controlled the match in the next two sets.
Certainly Aqeel's appearance and successes in the ITF Satellite and Futures tennis have done considerable good to him. It was the first time that he got a foreign exposure, won matches in India and became more serene and efficient in international duels like the Davis Cup.
Why can't regular combats with Indian stars be arranged. They may be friendship ties as the hockey duels are called, but they may enhance the fiesty competitiveness of the home players. At least two members of the Davis Cup squad viz. Nomi Qamar and Asim Shafik were deprived of participation in the Davis Cup at the Islamabad Club. If the two, along with Aqeel, are sent abroad they will be ready to parade their touch, technique and tactics against the Indian and regional stars.
Aqeel has proceeded to New Delhi to take part in Indian National Lawn Tennis contest. The Indians are hoping that he will project a positive image of the game. Some of the Indian juniors had qualified for the Australian Open this year and the matches hopefully will be interesting.
The President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, Senator Dilawar Abbas, has appealed to Gen Musharraf to appreciate the efforts of the tennis players and give a better patronage to a game that is popular throughout the globe. He asked the President to encourage the triumphant quartet by announcing cash awards to it.
What is required in the country is more first-class tournaments on all courts with the entries and participation of foreign stars.
It is possible that the clay surface may have proved to be the undoing of the New Zealanders for they are more adept at the faster cemented, synthetic and grass courts. The Pakistanis' serve-and-volley game on all types of courts has paid dividends in domestic tournaments. It is not necessary that the upcoming contests should be staged on the slow clay surface. The inferiority complex should give way to proper and sharp strokes. Internationally faster courts are being used, except in France and Scandinavia, and Aqeel and some other youngsters should be allowed to chip and charge on the well-maintained fast synthetic and hard courts. In this way they will discover the antidote to the aggressive and violent strokeplay of foreign stars touring the four continents round the year. The Pakistanis can well hone their courtcraft and gameplan by locking horns with regional racket-wielders like the Thais who resist the tide against them at Wimbledon, US Open and the Australian Open and strain the nerves of their adversaries.
In the Pakistan-New Zealand confrontation many were doubtful of the outcome for during the previous year the Kiwis had blanked out Pakistan at their own setting at Hamilton by a scoreline of 5-0. The result had saddened the players and tennis officials of this country. When Aqeel lost the first singles in Islamabad, the hopes evaporated. However Aisamul Haq blossomed in the singles and threw out New Zealander Simon Rae in a titanic struggle.
The doubles went in favour of the Pakistani pair of Aisamual Haq and Aqeel, who showed the right co-ordination not to give in to the New Zealand combination of Nielsen and Rae, the former having the better tactics to tame the latter in a straightforward scoreline of 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. The Pakistanis have not been playing together but in this contest they displayed sure touch and always moved up a gear to have their noses in front.
Aisam's stumble in the reverse singles put Aqeel in a tight spot yet he blunted the sting in the shots of Rae and came out with flying colours.
Aqeel belongs to Karachi and it is for the multinationals of the city to build grass and synthetic courts. Let the tennis officials do more for the progression of national tennis.
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