The UAE’s Davis Cup campaign kicked off with a bang as they eased to a 3-0 sweep over Kyrgyzstan in their opener in Bahrain yesterday but veteran player Mahmoud Nader Al Balooshi admits clinching a promotion spot to Asia/Oceania’s Group III remains a daunting task.
Al Balooshi, alongside UAE No1 Omar Behroozian, are leading the Emirati charge accompanied by two juniors, Abdulla Ahli and Fares Janahi in the absence of Davis Cup regular, tricky lefty, Hamad Janahi, who is currently studying in Dublin.
Only two of the 11 nations competing in Group IV this week will secure promotion and Al Balooshi feels it’s going to be a four-way fight between Jordan, Singapore, Bahrain and the UAE.
“We’re going to be playing in tough circumstances,” Al Balooshi told Sport360.
“Getting promoted is tougher than staying in the group or getting relegated.
“We came close to promotion last year but we ended up staying in Group IV (the lowest tier in Davis Cup). This year we don’t have Hamad, which is a blow for us because he has been an important member of this team for the past three years.
“I’m the one who will be trying to cover for his absence behind Omar. I feel the competition will be very close between the teams, especially that Singapore, Jordan and Bahrain all appear to be very well-prepared. Bahrain are the hosts and obviously that can give them an advantage.
“If Hamad was with us, I’d feel stronger about our chances of promotion but we’ll have to wait and see how things go.”
The UAE’s woes are compounded by the fact that their No1, Behroozian, is recovering from a torn oblique muscle, which he confessed remains troubling while serving.
“I think we have a chance to get promoted but I’m not sure how I’m going to cope with my injury this week,” said Behroozian.
“We have physio with us so he’s helping but realistically speaking I’m about 50 per cent. So let’s hope it’s enough.”
The UAE got relegated to Group IV last year and are trying to reclaim their Group III status.
This week in Bahrain, the Emiratis have been drawn in Pool B alongside Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Oman and Bangladesh.
The top two nations in each pool will move on to the playoff round where the winner of one pool will face the runner-up of the other. The two playoff round victors will get promoted and will contest the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group III in 2016.
The Emiratis resume action with a tie against Bangladesh, who lost to Singapore.
