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A successful trip, says Vishaal

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Saurabh Singh and Mohit Mayur played their parts well to help India finish third and qualify for the World Group final in the Asia-Oceania Junior Davis Cup under-16 tennis tournament that concluded in Shepparton, Australia, on Monday.

The captain of the team Vishaal Uppal was satisfied with the manner in which the boys played and gave them full marks for the effort.

“It was a successful trip. The quality of tennis was really good. Saurabh and Mohit played their heart out. Our objective was to qualify,” said Vishaal, on return here on Wednesday.

The Indian team lost to Uzbekistan in the semifinals, and Vishaal said that the boys were exhausted in the quarterfinal against New Zealand and thus could not play at their best.

“Our boys had not played on grass, and I had to make them aware of the nuances of grass court tennis, my attempt was to impress on them the need to be disciplined and stay focused on court. To beat Australia on grass was special,” said Vishaal.

The World Group Final will be played in Mexico from September 29 to October 4, on hard courts.

“Considering the way the two boys responded, I’m sure the team will be well prepared for the next challenge,” said Uppal.

The captain was clear that it was not enough to have a good game, but to be physically tough to make an impact in the next level.

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