RELIEF FOR PROMOTED S'PORE IN DAVIS CUP

Tennis team defeat Kyrgyzstan 2-0 to erase 2022 hurt and earn Group 3 spot

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Shaheed Alam has been on many flights around the world as a tennis player competing in tournaments.

One in particular stands out for him; the 16-hour journey back to the United States from Bahrain in October 2022.

Then, he and the Singapore men's team lost the chance to get promoted from the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group 4 after they were beaten 2-1 by Cambodia in the promotional play-off. Getting so close only to let the opportunity slip was painful.

For most of that flight, he stared into blank space wondering what could have been.

But now, in 2023, Shaheed will have a smile on his face as he heads back to Florida, where he pursues a degree in business administration at the Keiser University.

On Saturday, he helped the Republic beat Kyrgyzstan in the Group 4 promotion play-off in Antalya, Turkey, earning promotion to the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group 3.