India set to play against Morocco in Davis Cup group 2 playoffs

CHENNAI: The Davis Cup - World Group II play-offs fixture against Morocco is scheduled for this weekend at the Vijayant Khand Mini Stadium in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow.

In an interview with DT Next, India’s captain, Rohit Rajpal, reflected on their previous match against Denmark in July, where it lost despite previously defeating Denmark on the grass surface in Delhi. Unfortunately, Denmark enjoyed home advantage at the time and had the likes of Holger Rune, who performed exceptionally well in both singles and doubles matches. However, the upcoming weekend promises a new chapter and different conditions, and we are preparing extremely hard for it, and we aim to emerge victorious.

Humidity has been a big challenge

Rohit emphasized the challenging weather conditions in Uttar Pradesh, for the upcoming fixture. “We are experiencing extreme humidity, despite these adverse conditions, the team’s morale remains high. Rohan Bopanna joined the squad on Wednesday, which in a way has uplifted the team more,” he says. “The team is focusing on balanced practice routines and ensuring that squad members are well-hydrated with electrolytes to withstand the humid weather,” says Rohit.

Chennai’s Ramkumar’s presence in Davis Cup is vital

“Ramkumar Ramanathan holds a vital role within our team, and his longstanding association with us underscores his significance,” Rohit emphasizes. “He consistently rises to the occasion when it matters most. We will provide him with the opportunity to stage a strong comeback, aiming for numerous victories representing our country. It’s a common sight for sportsmen to face both highs and lows and although he hasn’t had the best outings recently but his presence is invaluable to us. Moreover, he’s set to compete in the Singles competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Though he is not a part of the upcoming fixture he is always a part of us.

Captainship role till 2024

The recent announcement by the All India Tennis Association stated that Rohit Rajpal would continue to lead the Indian team until 2024. In a playful tone, Rohit quipped, “What can I say? I’m only as good a captain as my team.” However, he lamented that his captaincy coincided with a significant transformation in the Davis Cup format. The competition now features World Group 1, World Group 2, and World Group 3, potentially pitting teams against top-tier countries. This shift implies that every match becomes a contest between India and the world in this new format.

Reflecting on recent experiences, Rohit mentioned a closely contested encounter against Croatia and the presence of formidable nations like Greece in Group 2. He also highlighted a significant drawback: the team had played numerous outdoor matches at home rather than indoors. He expressed hope that in the next year or two, they would get indoor matches in India, where they’d have the home advantage as well.

Dinner gala for Bopanna

Additionally, Rohit also discussed the AITA’s farewell plans for Bopanna, describing their long-standing relationship as akin to that of a ‘younger brother.’ The AITA will be hosting a special dinner gala for Bopanna to thank him for his years of service to the team and Indian Tennis. Although Rohit tried to convince Bopanna not to retire, given his top 10 ATP ranking, Bopanna remained committed to making way for younger talents to emerge.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath will conduct the draw at his residence on Friday. India has announced its preliminary squad compromising of Sumit Nagal, Rohan Bopanna, Sasikumar Mukund, Digvijay Singh and Yuki Bhambri for the weekend fixture against Morocco.