Prakash, Harsh tipped for team vs Korea

The duo, however, have a battle on their hands for it was Uppal and Bopanna who clashed for the title at the national grasscourt title recently with the former coming up trumps. Rastogi too had a good run making it to the semi-finals before being stopped by the eventual champion.

But, what is likely to tilt the scales in favour of Amritraj and Mankad is the Koreans’ choice of court since the two are the most comfortable on the slow hardcourts. Mankad, the country’s top ranked player had been in the news after he was left out of the squad against Sweden in September and later reinstated as the fifth member. Bopanna had got the nod because the selectors felt he stood a better chance on grass. Amritraj’s direct entry to the Chennai Open has boosted his chances especially if Paes yet again chooses to play only the doubles.

With the AITA raising the profile of the national grasscourts meet by giving the finalists the incentive of playing the Chennai Open and the Bangalore WTA respectively, it’s Rushmi Chakravarthy who gets the wild card while Isha Lakhani plays the qualifiers.

The national federation is also sponsoring the top three juniors, Sanam Singh, Jeevan Nedunchezian and Vivek Shokeen, with each getting Rs 15 lakh for a three-year period. Sanam and Jeevan will be playing the Australian Open juniors, while Sanaa Bhambri is also likely to make it in the girls’ section.