Qatar clinched the last available place in today’s promotion play-offs at the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group III event in Colombo, after pipping Malaysia to second place in Pool B yesterday.
The hopes of Qataris of competing for promotion had suffered a blow on Thursday when they lost to group winners Lebanon, but the team hit back yesterday with victory in both the singles rubbers against Malaysia.
Jabor al-Mutawa battled hard for a 7-6 (7), 1-6, 6-4 triumph over Hao Sheng Koay in a 2 hour 43 minute opening rubber, before Malaysia’s hopes of a comeback were dealt a cruel end when Mohamed Assri Merzuki was forced to retire just five games into the second rubber against Mubarak Shannan.
Malaysia had to settle for third place in the group, with Qatar set to take on hosts and Pool A winners Sri Lanka for the right to compete in Asia/Oceania Zone Group II in 2018. Pool B winners Lebanon will play Pool A runners-up Jordan in the other promotion play-off on today.
In yesterday’s other encounter, UAE and Turkmenistan were locked in at 1-1, and the match had gone to a decisive doubles rubber in a bid to avoid finishing bottom of Pool A after Turkmenistan’s Isa Mammetgulyyev cancelled out Omar Alawadhi’s earlier singles victory for UAE.
The winner of that tie is scheduled to play Syria, who finished bottom of Pool A, in the relegation play-offs today, while the loser will face third-placed Pool A finishers Pacific Oceania.
Qatar team
