KARACHI - Former tennis stalwart and national selector Saeed Hai has said with a fit and in-form Aisamul Haq Qureshi and a fighter Aqeel Khan in the team, Pakistan could upset Philippines in the Davis cup fixture in Manila later next week but cautioned the visitors would need a good strategy and planning to achieve success. In an informal interview with The Nation just before leaving for Manila as manager of the team here on Thursday, Hai praised Aismaul Haq for his performances in the doubles event recently at Wimbledon where the top rated Pakistani proved his fitness by playing two five setter games. Not only was Aisam in good nick, but he was fit and this would be vital in the hot and humid Manila where the three-day Asia Oceania Zone II Davis Cup tie would be played July 10-12. Aisam in recent years had matured playing international tennis. The player had skills and confidence but the only weakness he had shown was getting cramps at the vital stages of the competition. He hoped that the lanky hard hitting tennis youngster misses getting cramps which had nothing to do with fitness. Even top rated international stars were plagued by cramps, he recalled. If Aisam was able to avoid the cramps, he was expected to clinch two singles and the doubles in which he would be assisted by Aqeel Khan who had fighter's qualities. Aqeel Khan in the past had always made up for shortcoming on the courts with fighting performance. He was a fighter and believed in putting up good fight which was an essential quality for a sportsman in any kind of sports, he added. "Whatever shortcoming that Pakistan team would carry in the crucial contest, had to be overcome with a good strategy and planning," he said. He said Aqeel Khan would be playing the first singles on the opening day against number one of Philippines and Aisam would face number two the same day. If Aqeel clinches the first tie, things would be far easier for Pakistan because Aisam was expected to win both his singles and Pakistan would be favorite in the doubles as Aisam and Aqeel had always done well in that tie in the past. "However arguing in favour of Pakistan was always easier than actually winning," he added. Speaking on vast experience as tennis player and an strategist of Pakistan team in his capacity as manager over the years, Hai said as Pakistanis would be playing against unknown players and on artificial turf they had to devise a strategy to exploit the on-court weaknesses of their opponents. In tennis matches it was essential to avoid committing errors. "Matches are won not always by your winners but by avoiding errors and it could only happen when one studied the opponent and his style of playing and his on court strength," he added. Normally in a match, he said one wins 35 percent point by placements and lose 65 percent points by errors and when one minimises errors, the winning percentage goes up. The player who win 20 percent points by placements, ie. making good crosscourt passing shots or ace serves, could win more points by exploiting the errors of the opponent. He recalled more than one example where as manager he had guided Pakistani players in Davis cup and international events abroad to exploit the weaknesses of the opponents to succeed. Pakistanis had the ability to learn quickly and apply themselves as advised, he said. When asked to comment on the ITF decision to shift Pakistan's home fixture to Manila on the request of Philippines citing security concerns, he said instead of ruing the decision, Pakistan should give better performance and make efforts to win rather than discussing the right or the wrong of the ITF decision. "Had the fixture remained in Pakistan, we would have far greater chances of winning than in Manila where the players had to adapt to a strange artificial hard surface. At home Pakistan would have the choice of surface and also the home advantage," he said. He said it was a fact that security situation was not good in the country and it had suffered on that count. He refused to describe ITF decision as arrogant but asked to set one's home in order and only than one could take stand against any decision going against Pakistan. Aisam will reach Manila directly from London whereas other members of the team Aqeel Khan, his brothers Jalil Khan and stand by Jibran Muhammedi along with non playing captain Rashid Malik, currently in Malaysia playing Future tennis will reach Manila some time on Friday.