The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Indian team focussed on task at hand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 10, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Indian team focussed on task at hand

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: AFP

ALL IS WELL: Despite the tension within the team of late, the Indian Davis Cup squad presented a happy picture a couple of days ahead of the tie against Japan.

NEW DELHI: The battle lines may have been drawn within the team for quite some time now, but the Indian Davis Cup squad vowed in one voice that it would put its best foot forward in trying to get past Japan in the Asia-Oceania group ‘I’ tie to be played at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here from April 11 to 13.

Skipper Leander Paes and the rest of the team were at ease in handling the tricky subject of the friction within the team, and declared that the prime task of reaching the World Group play-off would be suitably addressed.

“The strength of the team is in putting its best foot forward. The pressure will make us perform better. A little ego in an athlete does help,” observed Paes, even as he conceded that he was evolving as a captain and would be willing to change his approach for valid reasons.

Paes said that it would be a tough challenge as Japan had better depth than ever before.

“I have played a lot of matches against Japan. We lost the last time in Osaka in 2004, and that one hurt. Takao Suzuki has a lot of experience and played some tough matches against us. Kei Nishikori has done very well to win Delray Beach. He can be the No. 1 Asian player like Paradorn Srichaphan,” said Paes.

Injury scare

Rohan Bopanna said he had had an MRI done on his knee and added that it was decided to rest it on Wedensday to make sure that he would be in best shape for the matches over the weekend.

Prakash Amritraj brushed aside the suggestion that he was brooding in a corner while the rest of the team was cheerfully warming up for the day.

“Everybody warms up in different ways. We all have our own routines. I have only one thing in my mind and that is to play my best tennis. I believe that we are a World Group team,” he said.

Though Paes will sit in the captain’s chair, Amritraj and company pointed out that communication lines would be open. “We have done very well with Leander in the chair. We will discuss the subject in the team meeting,” said Amritraj.

Paes said: “If somebody sits out, I may have to step in to play the singles. The only hitch is that I haven’t played singles in the circuit for a long time and the question is whether I am prepared physically to play five sets,” he said.

When the topic veered to the Olympics, both Paes and Bhupathi said they would do everything in their capacity to be at their best.

The Japanese team said that it was ready to fight it out, by putting up its blend of youth and experience to best use.

Though the Japanese No. 1 Kei Nishikori suffered breathlessness during practice in the morning owing to the heat, he said he was fine and ready to play.

The Japanese captain Eiji Takeuchi said that he would stick to the rankings in selecting his team for the battle, suggesting that Nishikori (118) and Go Soeda (156) would play the singles while Takao Suzuki and Satoshi Iwabuchi would combine for the doubles.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport