Pakistan face Sri Lanka in Davis Cup opener

KARACHI: Fourth seeded Pakistan will play against Sri Lanka in the first round matches of Davis Cup 2013 from February 2-3 next year.

 According to the draws for the 2013 Davis Cup, Sri Lanka have the choice of ground for this first round match of Asia/Oceania Zone Group-II.

So Pakistan have to travel to Sri Lanka in the coming February. “We will try to hold at least one tie in Pakistan this time,” said Secretary Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Mumtaz Yousaf while talking to ‘The News’.

 He said that they had planned to hold last Davis Cup tie against Philippines in Lahore Gymkhana, but due to security problems it had to be shifted to Philippines where Pakistan lost in the semifinal, mainly due to clay courts there.

The hosts decide which surface they play on.

 The secretary further said that they would hold a meeting of PTF’s executive committee next month in which they would discuss Davis Cup preparations. “Davis Cup will also be our agenda item in PTF’s Annual General Meeting to be held in December,” he said.

To a question, he said they would decide in the executive committee meeting whether to retain Muhammad Khalid as non-playing captain of the team for Davis Cup.

“We are comfortable with Khalid, and players also don’t have any issues with him,” said the secretary.

 “PTF was hugely embarrassed when our non-playing captain Rasheed Malik complained to ITF during the tie Pakistan played against Lebanon early this year,” he said.