Pakistan and New Zealand’s fourth Davis Cup meeting is being held on neutral ground in Myanmar from April 5 and the men in green have high hopes of achieving win.
However, the Kiwis won the first and last of their 2003, 2004 and 2010 meetings. The last two meetings have been decided in the fifth rubber.
New Zealand were relegated to Group II for 2013 having spent the last two years in Group I, but made a positive start to the year when defeating Lebanon 5-0 in Auckland for the loss of only nine games all weekend.
Pakistan is fighting to return to Group I for the first time in seven years. It has reached the second round stage of Group II for the last four years but always fallen short. They advanced to Group II second round again by defeating Sri Lanka with a two-man team in a deciding fifth rubber in February.
The tie is being held at the Pakistan’s favourite grass surface of Pun Hlaing Golf & Country Club, Yangon, Myanmar.
Pakistan will be led mainly by its ace tennis star Aisamul Haq and national no one Aqeel Khan while Yasir Khan and Muhamamd Abid are the supporting players
Aqeel and Yasir are ranked 1574 in the world while Aisam in 9th in doubles ranking and Abid is yet to gain his mark.
The Pakistan players will be up against 366th ranked Daniel King-Turner, Artem Sitak (ranked 455), Marcus Daniell (679) and Sebastian Lavie (796).