#TFGtake: Spain might whitewash India, but the hosts still have plenty to gain from the Davis Cup tie
HIGH-OCTANE tennis on the Indian shores is rare, but the upcoming Davis Cup tie between India and five-time champions Spain over the weekend at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) promises a lot.
Ever since World No.4 and 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal confirmed his participation, tennis fans in the country have vehemently expressed their desire on various social networking platforms to watch him play. In addition, the decision to distribute free tickets by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has further generated enormous excitement in the capital.
Come Friday, both teams will battle for a place in the World Group finals, and given the might of the Spaniards, the hosts are confronted with an uphill task on their hands. Currently, Spain leads India 2-1 in the head-to-head count in Davis Cup ties, and this will be the first meeting between the two nations after 1965.
With Nadal, David Ferrer, Feliciano and Marc Lopez in their ranks, Spain is arguably one of the most formidable teams in the competition. In both singles and doubles, the visitors have enough firepower and depth. On the other hand, the Indian team appears fragile. Barring veteran Leander Peas, the likes of Ramkumar Ramanathan, Sumit Nagal and Saketh Myneni have little experience on the big stage.
Given the demands of the format, Spain’s reputation and India’s frailty in singles, the visitors will walk into this tie as the overwhelming favourites. In fact, after Rohan Bopanna’s withdrawal due to injury, India chances in the doubles rubber looks slim too. While a whitewash looks imminent, the hosts still have plenty to gain from this contest.
Rookie Sumit Nagal’s introduction
If ever there was an ideal time to expose 19-year-old, Sumit Nagal into the deep end, it is now. There have been reports on how the former junior Wimbledon champ might be pushed into partnering Paes for the doubles event. That said, captain Anand Amritraj has also expressed his desire to include Myneni for this rubber. In the end, Myneni might get the final nod, and India might push Spain, but it is difficult to see them beat the visitors. Rather than fighting an already lost battle, India should seize the opportunity and ask Nagal to play. While Nagal is yet to graduate to the ATP tour, exposing him to the demands of top level tennis will immensely help him going ahead. It’s imperative for skipper Amritraj to realize that our future lies in the hands of Nagal and a few others in the junior’s circuit. The eventual outcome of a drubbing shouldn’t deter the think-tank from fielding Nagal in doubles.
Saketh Myneni can learn from playing against Nadal and Ferrer
If ever Myneni wanted to play two of the grittiest tennis players on the tour, he doesn’t have to look beyond Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. Unfortunately for Myneni, he rarely gets an opportunity to play the top-20 players on the tour. The lack of exposure to big time tennis in demanding situations proved to be his downfall in the opening round of the recently concluded US Open. Myneni is India’s top-ranked singles player and is currently at his all-time high ranking of 137. The 28-year-old will lead India’s challenge in the singles event, and although we don’t expect him to push Nadal, let alone winning, Myneni will benefit a lot by just being on the court for as long as possible with the 9 time French Open champion. In the reverse singles too, his match-up with Ferrer will test his court coverage and stamina. Myneni might get another chance in the main draw of a Major, and these experiences will certainly make him better equipped to handle the challenges in bigger tournaments.
Perfect motivation for young tennis aspirants in the country
India’s captain Anand Amritraj spoke about Spain being the best team to have visited the country in almost 25 years now. With one of the greatest of all time in Nadal, along with the highly respected Ferrer, Indian fans will witness some exhilarating tennis action. Sure, the IPTL and CTL managed to grab eye balls in the country, but considering it was more of an exhibition event, the intensity of many marquee players was questionable.
Over the weekend, we will see the thorough professionalism from the Spaniards as they represent their country. Moreover, with a limited capacity of just over 5000 seats, young boys and girls will be much closer to the action and that will allow them to capture some intricacies of the game. Young tennis aspirants in the country have a golden opportunity to make it to courtside and watch Nadal and company display world class tennis. As we are aware, the young guns always need a platform to kick-start their journey, and this weekend could be a start of bigger things for the future of Indian tennis.
