New Zealand Davis Cup team announced for tie against Malaysia

The Greymouth Petroleum NZ Davis Cup Team has been announced for the tie against Malaysia, at Albany Tennis Park, North Shore City 6-8 March.

The team is Rubin Statham, Dan King-Turner, GD Jones and Adam Thompson, with James Greenhalgh as Captain.

This is the same team that contested an epic tie against China in the final of the Asia/Oceania Group II competition, in Taranaki in September 2008.

For the March tie, the first in the 2009 Davis Cup competition for New Zealand, Oliver Statham and Marcus Daniell challenged for places in the team but could not quite force out any of the four that played last September.

The Davis Cup tie against Malaysia will be played indoors at the Albany Tennis Park, and is part of a month-long International Festival of Tennis in North Shore City.

The festival includes the Come Play! Open Day (which happened last weekend), the North Shore City Beach Tennis Bash! (28 February – 1 March on Takapuna Beach), the Davis Cup tie NZ vs Malaysia, and the first of the ASB Pro Circuit Tournaments, which begins directly after the Davis Cup at Albany Tennis Park ( 9 – 15 March).

The ASB Pro Circuit, which attracts an international field of emerging tennis professionals – the stars of the future - then moves onto tournaments in Hamilton (16 - 22 March) and Wellington (23 – 29 March).

In the Davis Cup in 2009, New Zealand will be playing in the Group that includes Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

A win in this group would see New Zealand promoted to Asia/Oceania Group I, the level at which Australia is currently playing.