By TERRY MADDAFORD
New Zealand will go into this week's Davis Cup tie against Pakistan in Hamilton as hot favourites.
The team of Mark Nielsen, Alistair Hunt, James Shortall and Robbie Cheyne should, on paper, simply have to turn up to win and advance to the next round.
But it may not
be that easy, with the New Zealand team mindful of last year's 4-1 drubbing by India in Wellington.
That horror loss was enough to convince 30-year-old Hunt to come back for at least one more tie.
New Zealand have been playing Davis Cup tennis since 1924, progressing as far as the semifinals of the world group in 1982.
They are ranked 28th (down from 24 a year ago) among the 142 nations (up from 130 last year) in this year's competition.
Pakistan, ranked 41st (up from 53), played in their first cup in 1948. Their best efforts were reaching group one of the Asia/Oceania zone in 1999 and again this year.
Their top player, 22-year-old Aisam Qureshi, is ranked 360 on the latest ATP singles list - 31 places lower than Nielsen, who remains New Zealand's top-ranked player.
In doubles, Qureshi is ranked 111 - after climbing into the top 100 last season - while Nielsen just makes the top 200.
New Zealand have won their first-round ties in each of the last five years, but on four occasions they got home by the barest 3-2 margin.
Because Pakistan have played most of their ties in the lower echelons of the Asia/Oceania zone, their 35-34 win-loss record is better than New Zealand's 45-53.
The winner of this weekend's tie will play the winner of the Japan v India clash on grass in Delhi.
Japan, with three players inside the top 250, are favoured to beat India, despite the latter being the seeded team.
If New Zealand and Japan win, the second-round tie, in April, is likely to be played in Invercargill.
If India beat Japan and New Zealand win their first clash with Pakistan, the tie would be played in India.
This weekend's tie was originally scheduled for Pakistan, but was switched in December to New Zealand for security reasons, much to the disappointment of the Pakistanis.
After their first practice sessions on the plexipave courts at the Waikato Tennis Centre, the visitors have even more reasons for not wanting to be here.
Aqeel Khan, their No 2 ranked singles player, was left with a swollen ankle after unsuccessfully trying to slide on the hard court, as he would have done if playing on clay.
He is expected to be fit for the first day on Friday.
By TERRY MADDAFORD
New Zealand will go into this week's Davis Cup tie against Pakistan in Hamilton as hot favourites.
The team of Mark Nielsen, Alistair Hunt, James Shortall and Robbie Cheyne should, on paper, simply have to turn up to win and advance to the next round.
But it may not
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