Davis Cup: Mahesh Bhupathi finds his missing link

“We (Leander Paes and Bhupathi) won 22 in a row so it doesn’t mean the legacy is going to continue,” Bhupathi says. “The Davis Cup is about winning three points, not one point. The focus needs to be on how we are going to win three points. There’s a lot of talk about doubles which has been going on for weeks and it’ll probably go on for the next 48 hours. Our focus is to go out there and win three points.”

Yuki Bhambri’s untimely exit from the tie, owing to a knee injury, has made the selection of the three singles players straightforward.Ramkumar and Prajnesh Gunneswaran, who is also set to make his debut, are likely to play the opening day singles. For Saturday’s doubles, Balaji is almost a shoo-in, while Bhupathi still has to pick between Rohan Bopanna and Paes. The veteran doubles specialists had been put on the reserves bench last week, owing to “lack of form.” Bopanna has only won the Chennai Open so far this year, while Paes has had to step down to Challengers for success — he won the Leon Challenger over the weekend.

“The conditions here are fast and we have some big servers on our team so we need to make the best of the conditions, we need to make the best of the practice here, (consider) the opposition and obviously the camaraderie. Once we put all those together, the team will come together,” Bhupathi adds.

The 12-time Grand Slam winner’s biggest concern is that neither of his doubles specialists are capable of playing a five-set singles match. Which is where Balaji’s inclusion becomes crucial, given that he is the only one in the team who plays both singles and doubles. “His game style compliments both singles and doubles. He has the big serve, solid groundstrokes, and he’s good at the net,” says team coach Zeeshan Ali. “More importantly, he’s confident at the net.”

Balaji would fit well with either of the doubles specialists should he be picked. With Bopanna, both players will have a similar style, the powerful groundstrokes and big serves. Teamed up with Paes, Balaji’s big serve can complement the 43-year-old’s prowess at the net. Mentally too, the world number 306 in singles, and 223 in doubles will suit Paes or Bopanna, as he has too little experience to have a clash of personalities with the veterans – both of whom like to be the dominant player on their side of the court.

The team management asserts that the squad is yet to be finalised. But given that Balaji has been in good form, winning four doubles and two singles Futures titles since the beginning of the year, and that his versatility may just be a vital cog in the Davis Cup machine for this tie, he will be hard to ignore.

Balaji looked sharp in his groundstrokes as he rallied with Ramkumar in a practice set. He was on the court during all three hours of practice, as he paired with Bopanna to play a doubles set against Ramkumar and Prajnesh. Paes, meanwhile, was the only player missing from practice. The veteran was expected to reach Bangalore late on Tuesday after making the trip from Mexico.

Paes’ victory at Leon came at an altitude (1815 metres) twice of what Bangalore has to offer, giving the veteran ample practice of such conditions, which will help him adjust faster. But he will only begin training with the team on Wednesday. Bopanna, on the other hand, has spent more time training with Balaji since the squad assembled in Bangalore on Sunday.

When asked about a player joining the team just two days before the tie, Bhupathi simply quipped: “It’s not ideal, that’s for sure. There’s never any balance in doubles. The balance is in the person sitting in the chair to balance the two players.” All the while, Bhupathi watched, making a mental note and trying to figure out what might be the best combination for the doubles rubber on Saturday – that is, assuming he hasn’t already made up his mind.