ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – University of New Mexico men’s tennis player Samir Iftikhar has been selected to compete in the 2014 Davis Cup and the 2014 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American Championships. The Bookingham, England, senior also earned an ITA preseason ranking of 101.
Early last week, Iftikhar received word from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) that he was nominated for the fourth time to compete on Pakistan’s Davis Cup team and shortly after he boarded the next flight to Thailand to go represent his home country and the University of New Mexico on a national stage.
Pakistan’s victory over the Philippines in April allowed the team to continue its run in the 2014 Davis Cup. Iftikhar and his teammates will face host country Thailand this weekend with matches taking place Sept. 12-14 (best of five matches). The two teams are competing for a spot in Group I. Pakistan and Thailand are both currently in Group II. Iftikhar is 0-2 when competing in the Davis Cup.
The Davis Cup is one of the most prestigious international team events in men’s tennis.
Also announced this week were 2014 Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championships selections. Iftikhar was one of two Lobos to earn a spot on the list as he was selected to compete in the Qualifying singles draw. Iftikhar earned the spot due to his success last season. He finished the year with an overall singles record of 24-9 and earned a final ITA regional ranking of five.
For the eighth year in a row, the Men’s ITA All-Americans will be held at the University of Tulsa in Okla. Qualifying events will begin on Sept. 27 with main draw events beginning on Oct. 2. Draws for the tournament are not yet available.
Additionally, Ifitkhar was the only UNM competitor to earn an ITA preseason ranking. He came in at No. 101 on the list announced by the ITA on Sept. 8.
For more information on the Davis Cup, head to:
http://www.daviscup.com/en/home.aspx
For a full list of pre-season rankings and ITA All-American selections, head to: