By Ronnie Nathanielsz

PAKISTAN tennis officials refused to play their second-round Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group II tie against the Philippines after it was transferred from Lahore to Manila because of the uncertain peace and order situation in Pakistan.

Pakistan Tennis Federation officials, headed by its president Dilawar Abbas, claimed that Pakistani players also have security concerns about playing in the Philippines and said the tie must be shifted to a neutral venue.

Paul Smith, the executive director of the Davis Cup Committee, earlier responded positively to a letter from Philippine Tennis Association board president Lito Villanueva, who submitted a request that the tie be moved out of Lahore.

Lahore is the same city, where the Sri Lanka cricket team was recently ambushed, in which seven players and their assistant coach, were injured and six Pakistani police officers and two civilians were killed.

Smith informed the Pakistan Tennis Federation that the tie was being moved to Manila.

“After considering all relevant factors, I am writing to inform you that the Davis Cup Committee has decided that as per Davis Cup Regulation 27 [e], Pakistan will lose choice of ground. The Davis Cup Committee further decided that the tie will be held in the Philippines from July 8 to 10,” Smith wrote.

Abbas was quoted by the Dawn newspaper as saying that relocating to the Philippines would affect Pakistan’s chances.

“By not playing on our home courts, we have lost the home advantage so we are not ready to give our opponents that advantage and instead press for a neutral venue.”

PTF secretary, Maj. Raashid Khan told the Associated Press of Pakistan, that they would send a letter to the International Tennis Federation informing them that the tie will be held at the grass courts of the Defense Club of Lahore, which will be “a well-protected area situated within a military zone and having live-in accommodation for the players.”