Grass-court tennis is a fading style in world tennis, but for India, it provides a significant edge as they take on Denmark in a World Group I play-off tie. The hosts have decided to play a tie on the grass courts of Delhi Gymkhana to be held on March 4 and 5.
The last time they went down this route - in February 2019 while playing Italy on the grass court at Calcutta South Club - the move backfired. India lost all three singles matches, including one to then Davis Cup debutant Matteo Berrettini, who we now know is a rare, young, grass-court virtuoso.
However, the grass should be greener against Denmark, with several factors making India the favorites for the tie, with the court drilling into the home advantage.
For starters, India's singles challenge is being led by Yuki Bhambri and Ramkumar Ramanathan, whose playing styles are well suited and thrive on fast surfaces. 29-year-old Bhambri is making a comeback for India after a protracted injury that cost him three of his prime years. The former junior world No. 1, who counts Queens as one of his favorite tournaments, plays fast, attacks tennis and can maximize his touch-play on the grass court.
In his short time on the ATP circuit since his return in January, he has already shown glimpses of his potential, reaching the second round of the Maharashtra Open in a thriller, beating this year's champion Joao Sousa in Dubai. Qualifier
Ramkumar's big serve and volley play is ideal for the grass court, as he has proven before. Some of his best performances have come on grass, such as reaching the final of the ATP 250 in Newport in 2019, defeating Dominic Thiem in Antalya in 2017, and making his Grand Slam debut in doubles at Wimbledon in 2021.
“We also saw the trouble of the opponents. I am sure that if we had traveled to Denmark, they would not have liked to face Ramkumar on the grass court. We also had a long discussion with Yuki Bhambri and Rohan Bopanna and we all agreed Were that grass is the best option," non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal told the media.
Bopanna was quoted as saying by PTI, "We are strong on the grass court, and that is why we have picked the spot. It is a home-court advantage for us and I think we have the best to beat Denmark on the grass." have a chance."
Apart from Ramkumar and Bhambri, Prajnesh Gunneswaran is the back-up singles player, with the experienced doubles pair of Divij Sharan and Rohan Bopanna completing India's five-man line-up for World Group I clash. A win will mean they will compete in the World Group I stage later this year. India have never fallen into Group II before in the competition, and it is unlikely that they will this time.
Denmark are an empty unit with their top-ranked player, Holger Rune, being eliminated and no other player in the top 300. While India doesn't have a single top-100 singles player, (Ramkumar is India's No. 1 in the ATP rank of 170), the highest-ranked Dane is Mikel Torpegaard at 305, with the rest of the Danish team down 800. The presence of doubles player Friedrich Nielsen, a former Wimbledon doubles winner with a career-high ranking of 17 in doubles. , there will be rest.
When it comes to the Davis Cup, this difference in ranking between the two players doesn't always matter much, as India will remember well from their earlier matches against Finland and Croatia. Nevertheless, the experience and depth of the Indian players present Denmark as an underdog, a fact acknowledged by skipper Nielsen.
Consider this: Bopanna will play doubles with Sharan even though he has won two ATP titles with Ramkumar this year, while Saketh Myneni (600) is above Denmark's second singles player Christian Sigsgaard (824) in reserve. Inclusion of crowds, a recent development as the country's COVID situation improves, will be an added advantage for Indians.
Saturday's match will begin with Ramkumar's world number 824 Christian Sigsgaard, followed by Bhambri - with a career-high of 83 - playing Torpegaard, with a career-high of 166. If things go according to plan and rankings, a bankable doubles rubber will be the deciding factor for India, not the solitary point it has been in recent times. For once, the old-fashioned grass should be a weapon even for the new-age team of former Davis Cup finalist India.