Rohan Bopanna says players waiting for ITF to respond regarding Pakistan Davis Cup tie | Tennis News - Hindustan Times
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Rohan Bopanna says players waiting for ITF to respond regarding Pakistan Davis Cup tie

Mumbai | By
Sep 20, 2019 11:18 PM IST

The India-Pakistan Asia Oceania Davis Cup tie has been slated for the end of November although the initial dates for the two-day tie were on September 14 and 15.

Indian doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna on Friday said there has been no communication between the players of the Davis Cup squad and the All India Tennis Association with regards to the upcoming tie against Pakistan, and they are waiting for the final word from the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

File photo of Rohan Bopanna.(PTI)
File photo of Rohan Bopanna.(PTI)

“We have no say in it as players. We are just waiting to see what ITF tells us and only then can we make a call. As players, we have zero control over it,” Bopanna told Hindustan Times. On being asked if the national tennis body has had a word yet, the 39-year-old said, “Even for the AITA (to communicate) I think they need to hear from the ITF first. Once we know what’s happening, only then can we comment and not over ifs and buts unfortunately.”

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The India-Pakistan Asia Oceania Davis Cup tie has been slated for the end of November although the initial dates for the two-day tie were on September 14 and 15. However, owing to the strained political relation between the two countries over the abolishment of Article 370 in Kashmir, the AITA had approached ITF to shift the tie to a neutral venue or postpone it. The Group 1 fixture is expected to take place either on November 29 and 30, or November 30 and December 1.

However, in a press release last week, the AITA clarified that a security review would be done in the first week of November and only then would a decision be taken on if the Indian squad would tour the neighboring country for the first time since March 1964.

Bopanna will be expected to partner Divij Sharan for the tie with whom he had clinched the Maharashtra Open—his only silverware this season. “You want to compete and win titles no doubt. I definitely had a great start this season, had a close loss in Stuttgart in the final, made semis in the Masters series in Montreal, so you know it’s definitely been an up and down season,” Bopanna, who joined footwear Asics as their brand athlete, said.

Bopanna’s best finish in the Grand Slams this year came at the French Open and US Open (Round of 16), while he opted for four different partners in the four Majors. “Well I played with four different partners so… that doesn’t really help that much always. Sometimes having the same partner and sustaining with the same partner makes a big difference. But for me as an individual, I can still grow on this and look forward to the next season to see who I am playing with and take things forward from there,” he added.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Bihan is a multimedia correspondent and works with the sports desk in Mumbai. He mostly covers cricket but his interests include football, tennis and badminton as well.

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