ISLAMABAD: India defeated Pakistan in the Davis Cup’s World Group I playoff tie in Islamabad. The decisive moment came in the doubles category, with the Indian duo of Saketh Myneni and Yuki Myneni securing a 3-0 victory against Pakistan’s Aqeel Khan and Muzammil Murtaza, with a scoreline of 6-2, 6(7)-6(5).
The Men in Blue had already set the tone on Saturday in the singles matches, with Sriram Balaji defeating Aqeel Khan in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3. Ramkumar Ramanathan continued India’s strong performance by overcoming Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-0, providing his team with a bright start.
Davis Cup Tie Between Pakistan and India
Expressing his satisfaction after the victory, Ramanathan acknowledged the challenges of winning away and praised the team’s determination. The last encounter between the two countries occurred in Kazakhstan in 2014, with India emerging victorious with a 4-0 scoreline.
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, a prominent figure in Pakistani tennis, had earlier expressed his happiness at hosting the Indian team in Pakistan, emphasizing the potential role of tennis in fostering positive relations between the two nations.
Indian captain Zeeshan Ali, whose father was part of the 1964 team, described the experience of coming to Pakistan as “emotional.” Reflecting on the historical significance, Ali expressed hope that the tie would contribute positively to the sport of tennis and potentially play a role in fostering friendship between the two countries.
“If we can help in any way to spread good friendship and the game of tennis, then we would have achieved our goal,” concluded Zeeshan Ali.
