E-Paper
In Davis Cup rankings don’t really matter: Zeeshan
Bhupathi’s captaincy on line in Italy tie
Bhupathi’s captaincy on line in Italy tie
New Delhi: The national tennis federation may not renew the contract of Mahesh Bhupathi as captain of the Indian Davis Cup team if it fails to qualify for the World Group Finals, it has been learnt.
India are up against formidable Italy but playing the hard-court specialists on grass at the Calcutta South Club gives the hosts some chance of an upset.
Incidentally, the only time India won against Italy in five meetings was at this very venue way back in 1985.
The winner of the tie will compete in the inaugural World Group Finals, to be held in Madrid in November this year.
It has been learnt that the All India Tennis Association (AITA) may look for a new captain, if the team will remain in the Asia/Oceania Group I, as Bhupathi’s term will be over after this contest.
“Yes, it will be extremely difficult for Mahesh to remain captain if the result is not favourable. The regional matches will not begin before next year, so AITA will have some time to ponder over the next skipper,” an AITA source told PTI.
It also remains to be seen if Bhupathi himself wants to continue as captain even if India cross the Italian hurdle.
Bhupathi had replaced Anand Amritraj as captain in April 2017. The Italy tie will be fifth under Bhupathi - the multiple Grand Slam winner - who began with a 4-1 win over Uzbekistan in Bengaluru.
Under Bhupathi the team twice reached the World Group Play-off stage, the maximum where it could go with the current set of players, according to the experts.
It lost to Canada (September 2017) and Serbia (September 2018) in an away World Group play-off ties.
Apart from the Uzbekistan at home, the Indian team also beat China in an away tie in April 2018.
It has also been learnt that at its recent Executive Committee meeting a representative of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) had proposed to bring back Anand Amritraj as captain of the team and a few member supported it.
Under Amritraj, who had a three-year term from February 2014 to February 2017, the Indian team thrice reached the World Group Play-off stage.
After his removal the players had written to AITA, questioning the decision even as the federation had denied receiving any such communication.
While Amritraj is keen to comeback as captain, it remains to be seen if the AITA looks for a new face or bring back the old guard. PTI AT KHS
KHS
Kolkata: Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali drew on history to point out that there is more than one precedent in India going into a tie as the underdogs but emerging winners.“If you compare the two teams, they are a far better team on paper. India have always been underdogs in the World Group. But we have reached the finals twice and played the semi-finals once. So, in Davis Cup rankings don’t really matter,” said Ali, on the sidelines of the preparatory camp at the Calcutta Gymkhana Club on Thursday.
Ali was referring to India playing the final in 1974 and 1987 and the penultimate round in 1993. No one in the Italy squad has played the Davis Cup on grass. Neither has India’s top-ranked player Prajnesh Gunneswaran nor Divij Sharan who is likely to partner Rohan Bopanna in the doubles. Ramkumar Ramanathan, India’s second-highest ranked player, has played once as has Saketh Myneni. At seven rubbers, doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna has the maximum experience of grass among both teams.
At world No 18, Marco Cecchinato is Italy’s top player whose only Davis Cup rubber was on clay. At world No 35, Andreas Seppi is their second-highest ranked player. With three in the top 60, all but one in the Italy squad are ranked above the Indian quintet.
India host Italy here in a qualifier on the grass courts of the Calcutta South Club on February 1 and 2. Italy have a 4-1 head-to-head record but India won the last time they played in Kolkata, in 1985. The India squad is camping here from January 23.
Ali, 49, said that even though Indians haven’t played on grass for about six months, they could draw on Ramanathan’s final appearance in Newport (Hall Of Fame Open) in July. The idea of coming here early was to get used to the surface. “I can already see a difference in how they were hitting yesterday and today. All the players believe they have a very good chance to win the tie,” said Ali, a former national champion who played the Davis Cup from 1987-1994 but never one in Kolkata the city where he grew up.
That Gunneswaran won a live fifth rubber, against China in Tianjin last year, too should help, said Ali. “I think that was a changing point in his career. That made him believe that he could play in tough conditions. He is 28 (he turned 29 last November) and in a normal scenario this would have been more towards the later stage of his career. But this is when he has bloomed,” said Ali.
Gunneswaran is ranked 109. He started 2018 as world No 243 and ended it as No 104. In between, Gunneswaran won two ATP Challenger titles and played the final of two more. He also won the men’s singles bronze at the Jakarta Asian Games.
