New Zealand have won both reverse singles matches against Pakistan to complete a comprehensive 5-0 Davis Cup win in Christchurch.
The team had already clinched victory on Saturday with a win in the doubles, so today’s matches were reduced to best of three sets.
New Zealand number one Tearney overcame stern resistance from Pakistan’s top singles player Mohammad Abid Ali Khan Akbar in his second set, before completing a 6-1, 6-3 victory.
Statham recovered from a sluggish start to beat Pakistan number two Samir Iftikhar 6-4, 6-1 in the final singles rubber.
Having retained its place in Asia/Oceania Group One of Davis Cup for 2017, New Zealand now await next Friday’s draw to see who it will face in February’s first round.
Read more: New Zealand lead Pakistan in Davis Cup tie
-Pakistan retains place in Group two-
On the other hand, Pakistan will have to start all over again in the Davis Cup’s Group II of the Asia Oceania Zone next year as the team.
A win in the all-important doubles match would have given Pakistan a chance to push the tie to the last day, but that was not to be.
Besides ruing the fact that they had to play their home tie in New Zealand instead of Pakistan or at a neutral venue, the players admitted that the loss delivered a big blow to their confidence.
“It’s one of the worst defeats I have experienced,” captain Aqeel Khan told media after the match. “We really had no chance this time. We thought we had prepared enough but the result just shows how far behind we are. It’s hard to cope with the fact that we haven’t been able to retain our place in this group. We played in Group I after nine years, but now we’re back to where we were.”
– Aisam takes a stand-
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s number one tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi earlier on Monday said that he has pulled out of a Davis Cup tie in New Zealand later this week “to take a stand”.
He tweeted: “I believe we need to make a stand for our Country & rights specially nowadays when unfortunately no place is safe.”
His father Ehtisham-ul-Haq added, “Aisam is not in the right frame of mind and to pre-empt any further controversy he has pulled out of the tie.”
“Pakistan had offered a number of options to save the 2013 tie but New Zealand’s approach was unprecedented… which they should have made up by touring Pakistan,” Ehtisham added.
Aisam, whose highest single’s ranking was 125, reached the US Open men’s doubles finals with Indian Rohan Bopanna and the mixed double’s final with Czech Kveta Peschke.
However, South Korea, India, and China are confirmed in Group One while Uzbekistan could join them if it loses its World Group qualifying tie against Switzerland in Tashkent.
Thailand will face Chinese Taipei in a Group Two tie which will see the winner promoted to Group One.
Read more: Aisam ‘to take a stand’, withdraws from Davis Cup tie against NZ
