Final Up to date: February 03, 2023, 13:42 IST
Indian Davis Cup staff (Twitter)
India had blanked Denmark 4-0 in Delhi in March 2022 and fac-off once more within the Davis Cup World Group I tie
It will likely be a Herculean job for the Indian Davis Cup staff to save lots of its place in World Group I when it clashes with the Holger Rune-led Denmark within the Davis Cup Play-off tie, beginning Friday.
India doesn’t have even one participant contained in the top-300 whereas world No. 9 Rune will make the hosts agency favourites to remain in World Group I. The tie might be performed indoors on exhausting courts.
India had blanked Denmark 4-0 in Delhi in March 2022 however the presence of 19-year-old Rune, who reached the fourth spherical on the Australian Open final month and received three ATP titles in 2022, makes it a really totally different proposition.
Nonetheless, India have come out with a pleasant technique to counter Rune’s presence and are targetting lower-ranked gamers within the Denmark camp — August Holmgren (ranked 484) and Elmer Moeller (ranked 718) — to emerge victorious.
The staff has determined to area Yuki Bhambri on day one because the nation’s second-highest ranked participant in order that Sumit Nagal can go in because the primary participant and attempt to eke out a win on the opening day.
Holmgren is likely to be ranked low however he’s a tricky nut to crack. He has been an NCAA champion up to now and can pose a powerful problem to the Indian staff.
The doubles match will assume significance and seasoned Rohan Bopanna should use his expertise to steer the facet.
Ever because the new format was launched in 2019, the Indian staff has managed to remain in World Group I however the staff should work exhausting to maintain its place.
There are three singles gamers within the enjoying squad — Prajnesh Gunneswaran (306), Ramkumar Ramanathan (412) and Sumit Nagal (509) — whereas Sasi Kumar Mukund has been overlooked.
But it surely’s not a shock that captain Rohit Rajpal has determined to play Bhambri. He has stop the singles format on the ATP Tour however nonetheless is such an excellent participant on indoor courts (the place exterior components like wind don’t rely) that it’s tough to disregard him.
Yuki will open the tie with the match in opposition to Rune whereas Nagal will play in opposition to Holmgren.
The newly-laid indoor courtroom is a bit gradual and is providing waist-height bounce. In response to captain Rajpal and coach Zeeshan Ali, Nagal is wanting the sharpest on the Indian facet.
Nagal additionally appeared in good kind in Pune the place he went down preventing.
“The waist-height bounce received’t assist us just like the grass courts, the decrease it’s, higher it’s for us. However nonetheless it’s higher than these high-bounce courts. It fits them extra and that’s why they’ve ready such courtroom the place the house gamers can strike large,” captain Rajpal advised PTI.
“This tie now we have 50-50 probability and I’m in search of no less than a 1-1 rating on day one. Hope Yuki can produce one thing particular.”
Coach Zeeshan defined the technique.
“We wished Sumit to play as our primary participant in order that he can play Denmark’s second singles participant on day one. The rankings of our gamers are such that it was doable provided that Yuki or Rohan performed because the second singles participant, so it was Yuki,” he stated.
“We’ve got performed defensive in earlier ties the place we performed in opposition to high gamers and it didn’t work. We needed to do one thing totally different.”
The staff administration admitted that the facet is feeling the stress going into the tie with out having a single top-300 participant.
On day two, Bopanna and Yuki will play the doubles in opposition to Johannes Ingildsen and Christien Sigsgaard. Nonetheless the hosts also can area Rune if required on day two.
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