Oman continue winning spree

Oman prevailed over a fighting Myanmar to notch up their fourth win on trot in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV tournament in Muscat on Thursday. As like other three rubbers, Oman managed a 3-0 victory but with each match stretched to the third set by the Myanmar players. Oman top Pool A with their fourth win and 12-0 on aggregate, while UAE are second with fourth win but 11-1 on aggregate. On Friday, Oman face UAE which will decide the group winners. In the opening singles at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex court, top Omani player Mohammed al Nabhani faced a setback early on as Myanmar’s Aung Kuaw Naing took the first set 7-5. This was a wake up call for experienced Mohammed as he stepped up gear in next two sets to romp home 6-2, 6-1 in a match that lasted nearly two hours. In the second singles, Abdullah al Barwani ended the challenge of Aung Myo Thant 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. The Myanmar player came back well in the second set to make it one-set all but could not keep the tempo for the last set. In the doubles, Oman captain Siddiq al Hashmi opted for brothers Younis al Rawahi and Muneer al Rawahi. The Omani pair overcame the spirited challenge from Myanmar pair of Zaw San Oo and Tin Myo Wai 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. In his second ever Davis Cup match, teenager Muneer complimented well with his elder brother in crucial moments to seal the game in Oman’s favour. “We had a tough day. Our players had to fight for their victories as Myanmar players did well in all three matches,” Siddiq al Hashmi said. “We had a long and tough day today. But I think it will be good for us as we have to play more tougher opponents in UAE tomorrow.” “Tomorrow’s tie will be important for both of us. I am sure UAE will also be looking to top the group. Obviously we also want to top group so that we can avoid playing Singapore who are expected to top the other group,” the Oman captain added. In the other Pool A match, UAE beat Iraq 3-0. In the singles ties, UAE had an easy time with Abdulrahman al Janahi beating Barakat Zainy 6-3, 6-3 and Fahd al Janahi defeating Adel Mustafa al Saedi 6-2, 6-4. In the doubles, Abdulrahman al Janahi and Fares al Janahi had to fight to overcome Iraqi pair of Adel Mustafa al Saedi and Barakat Zainy 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3. In Pool B, Singapore remained the lone undefeated team after blanking Turkmenistan 3-0. In the first singles, Roy Hobbs defeated Atlymyrat Gurbanov 6-2, 6-2 and then in the second singles, Shaheed Alam defeated Yuriy Roguskiy 6-0, 6-1. In the doubles, Yuan-Xiong Hui and Hao Yuan Ng defeated Atlymyrat Gurbanov and Yuriy Roguskiy 7-6 (5), 7-5 to make it 3-0. In other Pool B ties, Bahrain edged Guam 2-1 and Mongolia dropped only one game in the entire rubber as they thrashed Tajikistan 3-0. Results Pool A Bangladesh bt Kyrgyzstan 2-1 Sree-Amol Roy bt Georgy Kotlyarevsky 6-0, 6-1; Kirill Kistanov bt Dipu Lal 6-4, 6-4; Ranjan Ram/Sree-Amol Roy bt Kirill Kistanov/Georgy Kotlyarevsky 7-5, 6-0. Oman bt Myanmar 3-0 Mohammed al Nabhani bt Aung Kyaw Naing 5-7, 6-2, 6-1; Abdullah al Barwani bt Aung Myo Thant 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Muneer al Rawahi/Younis al Rawahi bt Zaw San Oo/Tin Myo Wai 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. UAE bt Iraq 3-0 Abdulrahman al Janahi bt Barakat Zainy 6-3, 6-3; Fahd al Janahi bt Adel Mustafa Al Saedi 6-2, 6-4; Abdulrahman al Janahi/Fares al Janahi bt Adel Mustafa al Saedi/ Barakat Zainy 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3. Pool B Bahrain bt Guam 2-1 Hasan Abdulnabi bt Christopher Cajigan 7-5, 6-4; Ali Dawan bt Daniel Llarenas 6-2, 7-6 (4); Ali Dawan/Yusuf Qaed lost to Jean Pierre Huynh/Daniel Llarenas 3-6, 5-7. Mongolia bt Tajikistan 3-0 Tamir Ankhbayar bt Shakhrom Umarov 6-0, 6-0; Temuugei Enkhsaikhan bt Firuz Mukhidinov 6-1, 6-0; Tamir Ankhbayar/Temuugei Enkhsaikhan bt Firdavs Odinaev/Shakhrom Umarov 6-0, 6-0. Singapore bt Turkmenistan 3-0 Roy Hobbs bt Atlymyrat Gurbanov 6-2, 6-2; Shaheed Alam bt Yuriy Roguskiy 6-0, 6-1; Yuan-Xiong Hui/Hao Yuan Ng bt Atlymyrat Gurbanov/Yuriy Roguskiy 7-6 (5), 7-5. Friday’s schedule Pool A: Iraq v Kyrgyzstan, Oman v UAE, Bangladesh v Myanmar. Pool B: Singapore v Bahrain, Tajikistan v Guam, Turkmenistan v Mongolia. Anuroop Athiparambath