Davis Cup: Somdev plays opening singles, Bopanna to partner Bhupathi

Pakistan News.Net
Thursday 17th September, 2009

Rohan Bopanna will be the man under pressure when India take on South Africa in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tennis tie, from Sep 18-20, at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena here Friday.

In the absence of experienced doubles campaigner Leander Paes, who has pulled out of the tie due to a shoulder injury, Bopanna will now have to pair with Mahesh Bhupathi in crucial doubles tie besides playing two matches as the second singles player.

India's No. 1 singles player Somdev Devvarman will play the opening rubber Friday against South African second singles player, the 290th-ranked Izak van der Merwe, whom he had beaten at the Aptos challenger quarterfinals in July.

The 488th-ranked Bopanna will play the second singles against 29-year-old Rik de Voest, who in the absence of their top player Kevin Anderson is their No.1 singles player and is ranked 189th.

It will thus be a huge responsibility on Bopanna who has just recovered from a knee injury and will have to play on all the three days of the tie.

Unless of course, Somdev pulls of both his singles matches to let the issue settle in the doubles rubber on the second day of the tie.

Indian team captain S.P.Misra said Bopanna is fit and is raring to go.

'Rohan himself showed enthusiasm to play the doubles. He said he is fit and is confident of playing on all three days. We all had an extensive discussion on it and finally it was decided that Rohan will pair up with Mahesh,' Misra told IANS.

South Africa have defeated India in both their previous meetings. They last met in 1994, also at World Group play-off.

'The team has adjusted very well to the conditions. I think we have a good chance in the tie.'

One would also expect 133rd-ranked Somdev, who had a good run recently reaching the second round of US Open singles, to pull of both his singles matches and ease pressure on Bopanna.

Somdev is not taking the challenge lightly. The South Africans are counting the high altitude and the fast courts as their strengths in the tie but the 24-year-old Indian reached here a week in advance to acclimatise to the conditions.

'I give a lot of importance to my preparation and that is why I came here Friday, so I can prepare well and be ready to go when the first match begins,' Somdev told IANS.

'My job has always been to win two singles matches for India. The tie is an intriguing one as South Africa have a very dangerous team.

'As far Rohan is concerned, his knee is fine and he is playing well. We have been preparing well for this tie.'

The two time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion said the courts here are not that fast and that he is comfortable playing on the indoor courts.

'I have become more comfortable with each passing practise session. The courts are not that fast but the conditions are. The balls travel much faster through the air,' said Somdev, who played a crucial role in India's win in the away-tie at Chinese Taipei in February.

'I am fine playing indoors, too, as I played a lot of college tennis indoors.'

For South Africa, the return of their top player Wesley Moodie will give them an upper hand in the doubles tie. Moodie will team up with estranged partner Jeff Coetzee, with whom he controversially terminated his partnership earlier this year.

South African captain John-Laffnie de Jager is confident of the home team's chances.

'I am very positive and excited about our chances against India,' he said. 'We have won the last three ties we played here in Johannesburg at the indoors and on high altitude, so we are confident.'

India like South Africa had last played in the World Group in 1998. South Africa is looking to win its 11th tie in a row.

South Africa have made four World Group appearances.

This is the second successive year that Indian reached the World Group play-off, having lost to Romania last year.

Have your say on this story