There was a time, not so long ago, when top nations found it tough to get their best players on board for the Davis Cup. It was best captured in the words of Tom Gullikson, the United States captain in the late 1990s, when he said, “If it gets to the point that where one has to get down on both knees to persuade players such as Sampras and Chang, perhaps it is time to make the team obsolete.”
For the less-established of tennis nations, however, it was more about national pride; a rare opportunity to beat the big boys and give their fans some electrifying moments to savour. One need not be a sophisticated tennis aficionado; just an allegiance to the country would do.
But, of late, this equation seems to have undergone a mutation. ‘The spirit of tennis’, as one writer chose to call it, is torn between being ‘global’ or ‘nationalistic’. For the players it’s become the latter, as evident from the fact that this week alone stars like Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be turning out for their respective countries around the world.
For the fans it’s the ‘global’, as seen by the frenzy accompanied by the massive surge in ticket sales when the arrival of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in India seemed possible. Djokovic eventually pulled out, citing personal commitments and fatigue, but not before offering further credence to the changing face of the competition.
It is against this setting that India takes on Serbia in the World Group play-off, starting on Friday, amidst pristine surroundings at the Cubbon Park.
At stake is a place in next year’s World Group. After having languished in the regional Asia-Oceania Group I competition for the past two years, and briefly flirting with the danger of slipping to Group II, India is a step away from being among the elite-16 in the world.
Unfamiliar territory
For Serbia, the second-ranked side in the world, this is unfamiliar territory. It has made the quarterfinals or better in each of the past four years — champion once and finalist once — before losing to Switzerland in the first round this year.
On paper, things are loaded in favour of the Serbs. Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic, the two singles players, are ranked World No. 61 and 107 and Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri, 144 and 153. Devvarman has lost once to Lajovic, on clay in a Challenger last year, and has played Krajinovic one time each in 2009 and in 2010 with a head-to-head record of 1-1. Bhambri has met neither.
But, Devvarman is a much better player than the numbers suggest. Early this year he and Lajovic, at one stage, were ranked 102 and 103, before criss-crossing each others’ paths. Devvarman reached the seventies even as Lajovic was still finding his way from the hundreds.
A remarkable run for the 24-year-old Serb — he reached the fourth round of the French Open before losing to Rafael Nadal — gave him something to cling on to and work his way up, while Devvarman lost his foothold and plummeted.
Low profile
At the draw ceremony held at the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka, it emerged that Bhambri will open things against Lajovic, a schedule which the 22-year-old Indian said fits him well. Through the three days, Bhambri has kept a low profile. A victory in what Lajovic described as ‘an open match’ might just uncork the emotions in him.
In the second singles, Devvarman, who meets Krajinovic, insisted that he and Krajinovic are ‘completely different players now’ compared to the time when they met twice.
Captain Anand Amritraj had earlier said that if Djokovic had travelled, India would have had to win the “other three” matches. In his absence now, it has a chance in all five. A 2-0 on the first day might be too much of a luxury; 0-2 almost a death-knell. A 1-1 will set up the tie nicely, and for that to happen, one of the Indian players has to upstage the rankings.
For the less-established of tennis nations, however, it was more about national pride; a rare opportunity to beat the big boys and give their fans some electrifying moments to savour. One need not be a sophisticated tennis aficionado; just an allegiance to the country would do.
But, of late, this equation seems to have undergone a mutation. ‘The spirit of tennis’, as one writer chose to call it, is torn between being ‘global’ or ‘nationalistic’. For the players it’s become the latter, as evident from the fact that this week alone stars like Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be turning out for their respective countries around the world.
For the fans it’s the ‘global’, as seen by the frenzy accompanied by the massive surge in ticket sales when the arrival of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in India seemed possible. Djokovic eventually pulled out, citing personal commitments and fatigue, but not before offering further credence to the changing face of the competition.
It is against this setting that India takes on Serbia in the World Group play-off, starting on Friday, amidst pristine surroundings at the Cubbon Park.
At stake is a place in next year’s World Group. After having languished in the regional Asia-Oceania Group I competition for the past two years, and briefly flirting with the danger of slipping to Group II, India is a step away from being among the elite-16 in the world.
Unfamiliar territory
For Serbia, the second-ranked side in the world, this is unfamiliar territory. It has made the quarterfinals or better in each of the past four years — champion once and finalist once — before losing to Switzerland in the first round this year.
On paper, things are loaded in favour of the Serbs. Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic, the two singles players, are ranked World No. 61 and 107 and Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri, 144 and 153. Devvarman has lost once to Lajovic, on clay in a Challenger last year, and has played Krajinovic one time each in 2009 and in 2010 with a head-to-head record of 1-1. Bhambri has met neither.
But, Devvarman is a much better player than the numbers suggest. Early this year he and Lajovic, at one stage, were ranked 102 and 103, before criss-crossing each others’ paths. Devvarman reached the seventies even as Lajovic was still finding his way from the hundreds.
A remarkable run for the 24-year-old Serb — he reached the fourth round of the French Open before losing to Rafael Nadal — gave him something to cling on to and work his way up, while Devvarman lost his foothold and plummeted.
Low profile
At the draw ceremony held at the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka, it emerged that Bhambri will open things against Lajovic, a schedule which the 22-year-old Indian said fits him well. Through the three days, Bhambri has kept a low profile. A victory in what Lajovic described as ‘an open match’ might just uncork the emotions in him.
In the second singles, Devvarman, who meets Krajinovic, insisted that he and Krajinovic are ‘completely different players now’ compared to the time when they met twice.
Captain Anand Amritraj had earlier said that if Djokovic had travelled, India would have had to win the “other three” matches. In his absence now, it has a chance in all five. A 2-0 on the first day might be too much of a luxury; 0-2 almost a death-knell. A 1-1 will set up the tie nicely, and for that to happen, one of the Indian players has to upstage the rankings.
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/can-india-get-back-among-the-elite/article6401963.ece
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