Devvarman rides into Davis Cup tie high on confidence

Last month,Somdev Devvarman turned 24,but the birthday didnt quite go the way he would have hoped.

Last month,Somdev Devvarman turned 24,but the birthday didnt quite go the way he would have hoped. I celebrated by finding out I hadnt got an entry into the tour event in Memphis,so that was a mood dampener. Hopefully my next birthday will bring better news, laughed the Indian. That date is still quite a while away,but perhaps the end of this week will bring another suitable cause for jubilation Indias Asia/Oceania Davis Cup tie begins on Friday,and Devvarman is key to Indias chances.

The Indian team are without Prakash Amritraj this time,left out because of his American passport,but Devvarman believes Rohan Bopanna is up for the task. We have a very capable and experienced man in Rohan replacing him Amritraj. We are focusing on preparing for this tie,and both of us have had some good practice sessions, said Devvarman from Chinese Taipei.

At 150,he is Indias highest-ranked singles player,while Bopanna is ranked 320. The oppositions main man,Yen-Hsun Lu,is at No 59 and while playing away from home is a distinct disadvantage,Devvarman is riding high on confidence.

After treating the countrys fans to a Chennai Open theyll wont forget,the US-based player hasnt made it too far into the draws of tournaments hes played since January. But the improvement has been constant nevertheless,aided by the realisation he can hold his own among the big names on tour,as well as a few helpful tips from Andy Roddick. Devvarman had another short stint with the American this year,and though it wasnt as comprehensive as the last time around,there isnt any doubt about the benefits from time spent with the world No 6.

Staying sharp

We trained together for one week we had discussed doing that during the Australian Open. That was in between tournaments,so it was more about staying sharp with our games. As before,it provided a great insight for me to see how the top guys train and what they do to get to that level and stay there, said Devvarman.

I have been playing well,and have had some losses and wins since Chennai,but that goes with the territory. It was great to perform in front of my home crowd. The run obviously gave me more confidence as I won some really tough matches over high-ranked players. But I have been hitting the ball well. I am not too worried about the defeats,they are part and parcel of the game. I feel good about the way I am playing, he added.

The University of Virginia graduate must have shared some wisdom with his junior Sanam Singh,who was made part of the reserve for this tie. Though he was subsequently ruled out with a shoulder injury,Devvarman believes more chances will come his way. I practise with Sanam often when I am in Virginia. Unfortunately he couldnt come for this tie. But I am sure he will get many more opportunities in the future.