Paes set as draw in India’s favour

A Davis Cup tie may be coming to the Pink City almost after a decade, but the organisers at the Jai Club have their work cut out, thanks to ...

A Davis Cup tie may be coming to the Pink City almost after a decade, but the organisers at the Jai Club have their work cut out, thanks to a sudden change in the weather. On the eve of the India-Uzbekistan tie the warm and sunny conditions at the draw gave way to a heavy downpour in the evening. The sudden climactic change also meant a heavy cloud of uncertainty over the start of the tie on time tomorrow .

Though the water has been drained out, the dampness remained and this would mean some low bounce. However, with the ground staff working frantically to get the Centre Court readied at the eleventh hour, neither team was taking any chances on hazarding a guess on the matches tomorrow. Nevertheless, the rain may have come as a blessing in disguise and should suit the hosts.

With the winners progressing to the World Group play-off, the presence of Vadim Kutsenko as the non-playing captain seems to tilt the scales slightly in visitors’ favour. The Uzbek has played — and beaten — Leander twice, albeit on hard courts. And, as he said, he would try to pass on to his team members some tips on how to face Leander. ‘‘I hope they are able to follow the tips on court,’’ said Kutsenko.

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And for Farrukh Dustov, who takes on the Indian captain in the opening match, his captain’s wins on hard courts may not count much. ‘‘Hard court is very different from grass. I will play my natural game tomorrow,’’ Dustov said. The 18-year-old, however, admitted that it would be tough for him. ‘‘Leander is 31-year-old all right, but he is experienced.’’

For Vijay Amritraj, however, Davis Cup is a different ball game. ‘‘The no.1 player of any team cannot be considered as having no chance,’’ said the legendary player, happy to be here cheering his son Prakash. Whether or not the rain has provided that cutting edge, the Indian cause may have been helped by the fact that Leander would be playing the singles. The captain’s decision to take up the gauntlet may have surprised many, but it may just be the right one for the team.

Harsh Mankaded?

While Leander playing the singles may be in the best interest of the team, the decision has forced the country’s No.1 player Harsh Mankad to sit out. The 245th ranked Mankad, who impressed everyone during the first round tie against China in New Delhi last month, seemed to have taken it in his stride. ‘My objective is to improve my game and support the team,’’ said Mankad. Probably what prompted the team management to fall back on Leander was Mankad’s two losses against Denis Istomin in the Futures tournaments recently. The captain, however, maintained that past records had no bearing on the current decision. — UG