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This is an archive article published on September 11, 2008

145;The pressure will be on Romania146;

Despite all the things that caused the Indian Davis Cup team to make headlines for non-tennis reasons in 2008...

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Despite all the things that caused the Indian Davis Cup team to make headlines for non-tennis reasons in 2008, they managed to fight their way to the World Group playoffs. The ugly scenes following the ties against Uzbekistan and Japan pushed a few fine performances into the background, but the players will need a whole lot more than grit to put it past Romania come September 19.

One of the main issues the rebels 8212; Mahesh Bhupathi, Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna 8212; had no longer exists, with Leander Paes relinquishing his captaincy, but it still doesn8217;t erase the problems the players have had with each other in the past, particularly given the history between Paes and Bhupathi.

Nevertheless, there is a job to be done, even if it8217;s the unenviable task of giving Romania a fight on clay in Bucharest. 8220;The atmosphere is always peaceful. We don8217;t talk to each other, we talk to the media, and since there isn8217;t going to be any media in Romania, things should be fine,8221; laughed Bhupathi, referring to his former doubles partner, while taking a break from a training camp at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in the Capital.

8220;We8217;ll be expected to win the doubles, and Romania will be under pressure to win at home. Somdev is playing well, so is Prakash and even though clay isn8217;t his surface, in Davis Cup anything can happen,8221; added Bhupathi.

Somdev is already in Romania, and has given a good account of himself by qualifying for the ATP event in Bucharest, upsetting Italian Filippo Volandri before losing to Spain8217;s world No 18 Nicolas Almagro.

8216;AITA was told8217;

Bhupathi refuted the All India Tennis Association8217;s claim that it was not told about the cancellation of the Sunfeast Open.

8220;They definitely knew about it. I have the email that was sent to them,8221; said Bhupathi.

 

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