Dubai: The UAE are tied with Turkmenistan at the top of Pool A of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania zone following a comprehensive 3-0 win over Iraq at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha late on Thursday.
The UAE have dropped just one match in three ties so far and are level at the top of Pool A with Turkmenistan. The final encounter between the two will decide the winner.
The ten participating nations have been divided into two pools, with the top team from each playing off with the runners-up from the other pool in the semi-finals. Only the two finalists stand a chance of getting promoted to Group III for the 2013 season.
A win against Turkmenistan will entitle the UAE to meet the runners-up from Pool B, which will be decided following two crucial encounters between Cambodia and Jordan and Singapore and Qatar.
On Thursday against Iraq, the UAE took the lead when youngster Hamad Abbas Al Janahi beat Barakat Zaini 6-1, 6-4. The experienced Omar Behroozian then secured a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over Maab Abdul Razaq Yaseen.
Fujairah youngster Saud Al Ali played for the first time this week when he teamed up with Al Janahi and the UAE pair powered their way to a 6-1, 6-2 win over the Iraqi duo Yaseen and Zaini.
Cambodia are at the top of pool B following three successive wins, while Singapore, Jordan and Qatar are fighting for second spot.
