Home court advantage will be critical.
This is according to Barbados’ number one tennis player Darian King, as he prepares to serve the island off to a winning start in the opening match of the historic Group II Davis Cup tie against Pakistan at the National Tennis Centre in Wildey on Saturday.
It will be the first time these two nations meet in the competition, with the visitors slightly favoured based on rankings over Radisson Team Barbados The winner will advance to the 2025 World Group I Play-offs.
Nevertheless, King, the leader of the Barbados team, believes they will benefit from the familiar hard court and local conditions.
“It is a big aspect in Davis Cup, having home court advantage is a big deal. I think if we went to Pakistan, we could be playing on a crazy different surface like grass or carpet. We are all accustomed to the hard court, we have been born and raised on it so hopefully it is not as good for them. We are glad to be familiar with the conditions and the court and it will be big for us,” King said during a press conference on Friday morning at the Radisson Aquatic Resort.
“We are in good spirits, everyone here has been together for the past couple of ties and nothing changed. Ahead of tomorrow, nothing will change,” he continued. “It is just to go out there and get some numbers on the board for Barbados.”
King also believes the unpredictable weather conditions could be a major factor.
“The world has been crazy hotter and that is a big factor. The heat has been overwhelming at some points, hopefully it is not as brutal tomorrow and Sunday. But for Pakistan I’m sure they have the same conditions. We want to go out there and showcase good tennis regardless. I’m thinking of what we have to do to execute to get the point.”
King is set to take on Muhammad Shoaib in the first match at 11:00 am and doubles with Haydn Lewis on Sunday, while Barbados’ No 2 Kaipo Marshall will take on Aqeel Khan following King’s singles match up with Shoaib.
Radisson Team Barbados also includes Xavier Lawrence and Stephen Slocombe. Aged 21, Slocombe is the youngest member of the group.
From left to right: Barbados’ Darian King and Hadyn Lewis pose with Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan.
(Photo Credit: André Springer)
The Pakistan team comprises Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, Aqeel Khan, Muhammad Shoaib, Yousaf Khalil, Ahmad Nael Qureshi, captain Hamid-ul-Haq, coach Muhammad Khalid, and physiotherapist Muhammad Shahid.
“I feel great, I just graduated university in May and I’ve been playing so much tennis since then,” Marshall shared. “I’ve had a lot of time on court so I think my preparation for this tie has been better than any other tie and I think that the team overall is in good spirits and we have done everything possible to be ready and I am looking forward to giving it my all and coming out on top.”
Barbados’ non playing captain Damien Applewhaite is also confident that his team will perform to the best of their ability.
“We prepared quite well. It is not our usual preparations but we will draw on our experience. I think the teams are evenly matched. We will depend on our experienced players to gel with the young players and I really expect a good competitive tie and hopefully Barbados will come out on top.”
Meanwhile, Qureshi, who is also president of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, is optimistic about the team’s chances.
“The responsibility is on the young kids, hopefully they can step up. It is a mixture of senior and junior teams, the same as Barbados,” he explained. “It is good to have both sets of players and we are hoping that everything we have learnt we can pass onto the kids. We have come with full force to do our best and I’m sure it will be a great tie.”
Barbados will be hoping to continue their winning streak after defeating Jamaica in a thrilling World Group II play off tie in Kingston back in February.
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men’s tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and has been contested annually since 1900. (BT)
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