Hao Sheng prepared for Davis Cup double duty
Malaysia will be playing in Group IV of the Asia-Oceania competition on July 14-19 with home ground advantage at the National Tennis Centre here.
Hao Sheng tasted his first experience as captain of the Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) women's squad last month and led the team to a respectable top-four finish in the Asia-Oceania Group II competition which was also held in Kuala Lumpur.
"I am looking forward to being the playing captain for the Davis Cup," said Hao Sheng when met recently.
"I have played in the Davis Cup many times before but this time it will be more challenging as I will also be coaching.
"I will have to manage my recovery between matches more carefully as I will be on court (coaching courtside) throughout the day.
"I enjoyed my experience as BJKC captain and I learnt a lot. The players, association and head coach (Muliyadi Jamal) have been very supportive of me.
"Having said that, there is still a lot more I can learn in terms of understanding the players and how to communicate effectively with them."
Hao Sheng is set to turn 27 later this month but has already been a staple of the national squad for almost a decade now.
The Davis Cup squad will be on a mission to secure promotion after being relegated from Group III last year.
The other nations in Group IV, which is the second lowest tier of the competition, are Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Iraq, Nepal, Philippines, Malaysia as well as Pacific Oceania who were relegated alongside Malaysia from Group III last season.
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