The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : India takes on Japan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 09, 2004

Sport

Sport - Tennis

India takes on Japan

OSAKA, APRIL 8. Japan has not won a Davis Cup tennis tie against India in 74 years. But this interesting piece of history is not about to make Japan captain Jun Kamiwazumi imagine a victory against the Indians in the Davis Cup tie here from April 9-11, is impossible.

The key for both sides is undoubtedly the performance of the Indian playing captain Leander Paes. The visitors will be hoping that the Indian doubles ace fires in both his singles matches, and rekindles a bit of the old magic with Mahesh Bhupathi in the doubles. As for the Japanese, they will be desperately hoping Paes misfires along the way.

In effect, Paes could almost single-handedly influence the result of the Asia-Oceania Zone Group One second round tie to be played at the Utsubo Tennis Centre.

"We need to crush Paes. That will be the key to our success," Kamiwazumi told reporters after the draw. "The doubles will be a tough match. We aim to chalk up three wins in the singles."

That might prove harder than it sounds, even if past records are discounted. Time and again, Leander Paes has pushed himself to play beyond his ability when it comes to the Davis Cup.

Prakash Amritraj has been drawn to play against Motomura in the first singles, while Paes will take on Takao Suzuki in the second.

When the two teams met last year in Delhi, India defeated Japan 4-1. Paes won his singles matches and combined with Bhupathi to win the doubles as well.

Such was his commitment that he came back from a set down in the dead fifth rubber against Gouichi Motomura and won the match in three sets.

"Playing a Davis Cup tie away from home is always going to be difficult, but the boys are in good nick and the team is back to its full strength," Paes said. "Things have been going on well.

"The guys have played good tournaments in Asia while (doubles partner) Mahesh Bhupathi and myself are coming from Miami where we played in the ATP Tennis Masters."

India has defeated Japan 17 times in a row out of a total of 19 Davis Cup encounters. The last time Japan won was in 1930, when they thrashed the Indians 5-0. The only other time Japan emerged victorious was in 1921.

The five matches will be played on a hard court surface, which the host is comfortable on. Japan beat Indonesia 3-2 in the first round in Jakarta in February while India beat New Zealand by the same margin at Invercargill.

There, Paes won both his singles matches and the multiple Grand Slam-winning combination of Paes and Bhupathy won the doubles encounter.

The other members of the Indian contingent in Osaka are Harsh Mankad and Rohan Bopanna.

The draw: Friday: Gouichi Motomura (Jpn) v Prakash Amritraj (Ind); Takao Suzuki (Jpn) v Leander Paes (Ind).

Saturday: Takahiro Terachi/Thomas Shimada (Jpn) v Leander Paes/Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind). Sunday: Takao Suzuki (Jpn) v Prakash Amritraj (Ind); Gouichi Motomura (Jpn) v Leander Paes (Ind).

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