Tennis: Hunt sets record straight with win

By TERRY MADDAFORD

HAMILTON - Alistair Hunt and his Davis Cup team-mate Mark Nielsen exorcised a few ghosts in taking what should be a winning 2-0 lead over Pakistan on the first day of their tie at the Waikato Tennis Centre yesterday.

Hunt, disappointed at last year's loss to India in Wellington in which he says he did not play as well as he would have liked, vowed to set that record straight.

In seeing off Aisam U-Haq Qureshi in a sometimes tense four-set battle, Hunt ensured the New Zealanders would have a chance of wrapping it up in the doubles today.

It is the first time since 2000 that New Zealand have led 2-0 after the first day.

Hunt, who rarely gives the impression he gets too far out of first gear, showed some of his best touches in beating the Pakistan No 1 6-2, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in a little more than two hours.

Earlier, Nielsen had wasted no time in seeing off Aqeel Khan 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, spending just 90 minutes doing it.

Qureshi, ranked more than 1000 places higher than Hunt - who has not played on the professional tour for some time - showed some nice touches with his no-nonsense game.

Under pressure, he was not quite as composed, surrendering key points to the steady Hunt.

The New Zealander broke Qureshi in the third game of the first set, but then, broken twice in the second set, he was in danger of losing his way.

But not for long. In a drawn-out third set, Hunt broke Qureshi in the eighth game, then handed that advantage straight back.

He held serve in a close 11th game - finishing it with one of his eight aces (Qureshi managed seven) - and completed the task by breaking his opponent in a quickfire 12th game.

With few long rallies, the fourth set was over in 30 minutes, with Hunt capitalising on some lackadaisical strokeplay from a player once ranked close to the world's top 200.

"He hits the ball cleanly," Hunt said. "He started off well, but playing a match like that is never easy."

Asked whether they would go all out to wrap the tie up today, Hunt said laconically: "I'm not a big Sunday player."

The first hint that the Pakistanis were not expecting too much from Khan in the opening singles came early in the second set.

With Nielsen 2-0 ahead, Qureshi headed for a back court to warm up.

He did not have to wait long, although Khan, swamped in the first set, did win his first game, for 1-3, in the second.

For most of the match the New Zealand No 1 was in total control. At others he let himself down momentarily with some wayward stuff against a player who would struggle to find a place in Auckland's Caro Bowl interclub competition.

Nielsen admitted he had gone into the match not knowing what to expect.

"But, having said that, I think I played quite a good match," he said. Pressed further, Nielsen said it was probably the easiest of his dozen Davis Cup singles.

"I certainly did not expect to win the first set 6-0."

Nielsen served just three aces and gave up four double faults - two in two games, including the second game of the third set when he dropped serve for the only time in the match.

Non-playing captain Glenn Wilson, obviously pleased by what his players had achieved, said he would wait until this morning before confirming Hunt and Nielsen for the doubles.

It would be a major surprise if they were not handed that job - and even more of a surprise if they did not win.