Pakistan led New Zealand 2-1 in their Asia/Oceania Group II Davis Cup semi-final Saturday after Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi backed up from a marathon singles win to partner Aqeel Khan to doubles success. The 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-2 doubles victory over Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus came a day after Qureshi spent more than four hours 30 minutes on court to beat Venus in a five-set singles match.
New Zealand's number one Rubin Statham, who sat out the doubles, beat Khan in straight sets in the singles and will play Qureshi in the reverse singles. Qureshi, a doubles quarter-finalist at Wimbledon this month, stepped up the pace of the doubles match after Pakistan were forced to a tie break in the first set.
The Pakistanis broke the New Zealanders' serve twice in the second set before easily winning the third. The Davis Cup tie is being played on indoor courts in the North Island town of Hawera after being shifted from Pakistan amid security concerns.
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