Indian victory heart-warming, not convincing

Ali Hamadeh, the Lebanese No 2, remarked after their doubles victory the win over India would count “up there”. He said when he joined the Lebanese team about five years ago, the team went from Group III to II.

“Then,” he added, “When Hicham (Zaatini) joined, there was a hot streak and we moved to Group I. But Group I was always going to be tough.”

The Lebanese were coming to India to play on grass, a surface alien to them and much preferred by the hosts. While Zaatini was around the 570 mark in ATP rankings, Hamadeh didn’t figure at all. Yet, there is every chance that India could have lost the tie despite a splendid performance by Leander Paes. That Syed Fazaluddin won a singles match on the first day had a lot to do with luck. Zaatini had never played on grass before in his life and he was playing after a lay off due to an injured shoulder. He said later that he had served for the first time in weeks just the day before the tie.

The match against the South Koreans in April at Delhi will not be easy with Mahesh Bhupathi not there. The Koreans play a stubborn game and will not give points away easily. And unlike Lebanon, Korea are much more experienced in Davis Cup situations.

Non-playing captain Ramesh Krishnan has already stated doubles is a problem area, and he does have a puzzle on his hands. Fazal would not have inspired much confidence after an uninspired doubles performance and bungling in what should have been a tension-free reverse singles here.

But Krishnan may not have a second singles choice other than Fazaluddin, who is thought to be a grass court player.

To try someone less experienced, like Sunil Kumar, may be too big a risk. On the other hand, many feel it may be better to play a non-grass court player, who will adapt to the surface and swing his racquet, rather than someone who will go out and mess up the serve and volley routine. And after watching Prahlad Srinath adapt his game and play at the net at the Gold Flake Open — albeit on a different surface — he can always be tried out in the doubles.

The one good thing is that in Krishnan we have a captain who is both committed and approachable. To watch him on the captain’s chair, constantly jotting down notes, watching every move his boys make, and talking, cajoling, pushing them on, was a pleasant sight.

Two instances in the Paes-Zaatini match come to mind. The first was when Paes slipped and fell. Krishnan ran onto the court, something that isn’t normally done, handed Paes a towel and pointedly looked at the wet patch of grass.

The second, when he alone noticed that the net was higher and told the chair umpire. Then of course, both Fazaluddin and the other team members insist it was Krishnan who made the difference when Fazaluddin was 2-1 against Zaatini and the latter was on the verge of equalising. “Ramesh constantly talked to me and made me relax,” said Fazaluddin.

Krishnan also remarked after the tie that “this was a learning experience for Fazal and he should do better from here.” He put one of the reasons for the lack of good performances by the second string, on the fact that Paes or Bhupathi was always around to shoulder the burden. “But, it isn’t fair to them,” he added.

It isn’t. If current indications are true, then Fazaluddin will play against South Korea. If he does, he has a whole lot of rethinking to do. Along with the rest of the team.