Bhambri will launch India's bid for a spot in elite World Group against Djokovic-less Serbia that still poses a strong challenge
There's no such thing as harsh weather in Bangalore. Even the choicest of cynics would be generous enough to call it 'lovely'. So when India's non-playing captain Anand Amritraj and his boys chose the Garden City as the venue for their Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against Serbia, there were guffaws and giggles all around.
Call it playing into the opposition's hands or an early Christmas present, India seem to have given up their so-called home advantage even before the coin toss.
That's not all. Instead of the traditional 11 am start that would have kept the Balkans under the sun from start to finish, India have gone for the unusual 'day-night' affair for 'marketing' reasons. Well, that logic doesn't hold water because this isn't an exhibition. This is the 'World Cup' of tennis.
It doesn't seem so, though. There are no hoardings luring you; the humble autowallah knows only of one stadium (cricket's Chinnaswamy) and the numerous BookMyShow counters outside the venue wear a deserted look.
The ingenious juice seller is doing brisker business, though, with passersby sipping on his homemade grape and mango juice. Yet, the organisers say the 7,500-capacity stadium is sold out. If nothing, the Novak Djokovic 'false alarm' boosted the sale of tickets. Wonder how many will actually turn up on Friday.
The decision to award the game to Bangalore was apparently aimed at snubbing Karti P Chidambaram, a big-time rival of the All India Tennis Association dispensation. Why else are we not in the unforgiving heat of Chennai, India's preferred 'torture chamber' for European, Asian and South American teams alike! That's a story for another time. The other –– hardly believable –– explanation doing the rounds is that India wanted to be fair and square.
These noble intentions must end there, though. At 3 pm on Friday, in the leafy vicinity of Cubbon Park, Yuki Bhambri will launch India's bid for a spot in the elite, 16-nation World Group. He will be up against Dusan Lajovic, a talented 24-year-old with a one-handed backhand that's bound to delight purists at the KSLTA Stadium.
Back in action after a prolonged heel injury, the Bollettieri Academy trainee from New Delhi has worked diligently to get match-fit. A whopping 10 matches spread over two continents and 37 days should hold him in good stead against the World No. 61. That said, there is a question mark over his agility, something the super-fit –– he has trained with Rafael Nadal –– Lajovic will exploit in their first meeting.
Whether or not Bhambri (World No. 153) were to give India a priceless 1-0 lead, a lot will be expected of Somdev Devvarman, the country's top singles player. Ranked 144th, the US-based Devvarman will take on the higher-ranked Filip Krajinovic (World No. 107) in their third meeting and first since 2010. Their head-to-head record stands at 1-1, but that means nothing because four years is a lifetime in big-ticket tennis. In any case, Krajinovic is a much-improved player these days. Watch out for that forehand.
Saturday's doubles rubber will offer India their best chance of getting on the board. The evergreen Leander Paes will team up with one-time foe Rohan Bopanna. Standing across the net will be Nestor Zimonjic, who like Paes is among the best doubles players of all time, and Iliza Bozoljac. This contest promises to be riveting. There are no secrets here because these players keep bumping into each other on the Tour. Paes and Bopanna won't have it easy, mind you. After all, this Serb pair had conquered the Bryans in the Davis Cup last year.
Serbia, champions in 2010 and finalists last year, are striving to extend their seven-year-long presence in the World Group. They won the last meeting against India, also a World Group playoff tie, in 2011 by a 4-1 margin at home. This time, they want to do it in 'lovely' Bangalore.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Serbia lead 2-1
Year Round Venue Surface Result
1927 Europe (Rd 2) Zagreb Hard India won 3-0
1988 World Group (Rd 1) New Delhi Grass Yugoslavia won 3-2
2011 World Group (Rd 1) Novi Sad Hard Serbia won 4-1
LIVE ON DD Sports at 3:00 pm
THE DRAW
Friday (Singles): Yuki Bhambri vs Dusan Lajovic followed by Somdev Devvarman vs Filip Krajinovic
Saturday (Doubles): Leander Paes/Rohan Bopanna vs Nenad Zimonjic/Ilija Bozoljac
Sunday (Reverse singles): Devvarman vs Lajovic followed by Bhambri vs Krajinovic
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