The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Somdev doubtful for Davis Cup tie

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007
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Somdev doubtful for Davis Cup tie

NEW DELHI: His inclusion into the Indian Davis Cup team may have been dramatic, but Somdev Dev Varman finds himself stranded in New York, unable to make it to the Asia-Oceania group `I' tie to be played at Namangan, Uzbekistan, from February 9 to 11.

Despite having all the documents for `visa on arrival', the 21-year-old Somdev was denied permission by Aeroflot Airlines, after the student of the University of Virginia had even checked in his baggage.

The flight was scheduled to fly through Moscow to Tashkent, and he was told that his visa authorisation letter may not stand scrutiny at the Russian airport where the flight had a six-hour stop-over.

With not much scope for another connection to Tashkent within the short time, it may not be a surprise if is asked to go back to his University.

The rest of the Indian team led by Leander Paes reached a day later than scheduled, as they could not catch the flight to Tashkent from Amritsar on Sunday.

The connecting flight from Delhi to Amritsar in which the Indian team was booked got cancelled, and the team thus had to board the flight to Tashkent the following day. — Special Correspondent

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