UAE on the brink of a promotion

The UAE's leading tennis players kept up their good work in Jordan yesterday to stay firmly in the running for a Davis Cup promotion from Group IV to Group III of the Asia/Oceania zone. A third successive 3-0 victory - this time over Bahrain - enabled the team to go into the deciding round-robin fixture today against Myanmar at the top of their section.

They are guaranteed a place in the play-offs tomorrow at the Al Hussain Tennis Club Mahmoud Nadar al Baloushi and Hamad Abbas Janahi both won their singles matches in straight sets, and then combined in the doubles to ensure that the Emiratis maintained a perfect record. The victory was made more impressive because it was achieved without the services of Omar Bahrouzyan Awadhy, the country's top player, who was rested by the new coach, Jorge Martin.

The UAE team will play either Singapore or Jordan, who meet today to decide the top-ranked Section B team in the nine-nation competition. The winners of the two play-offs will advance from the lowest group in Davis Cup play. Led by Rafael Nadal, Spain, at the top level of the premier men's team tennis competition, will face France in a fascinating World Group quarter-final tie in July. Slah Bramly, the technical director of Tennis Emirates, was delighted by the performances by the UAE players so far.

"I'm excited and happy for the team because for the first time in three years there is a chance of securing promotion," he said. "The team has come together very well under our new coach and we are very pleased about that." [e-mail]