Davis Cup 2018 - India

This is a forum where users can follow various tournaments that have Indian participation or are held in India. GrandSlams and Davis Cup should also be discussed here.

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Florian Buechting
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Davis Cup 2018 - India

Post by Florian Buechting »

We will play the winner of China vs. New Zealand (which likely means we have to travel to China in April...)
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by sameerph »

Florian Buechting wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2017 2:29 pm We will play the winner of China vs. New Zealand (which likely means we have to travel to China in April...)
Yes, China vs. New Zealand in February in China and the winner to meet us from 6-8 April, 2018. So, in all likelihood against China in China. This will not be easy match.
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by S_K_S »

Will the Chinese switch the heating on this time?
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by Prashant »

S_K_S wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2017 3:27 pm Will the Chinese switch the heating on this time?
Not if they know what is good for them...
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by Varma »

With this kid, Wu, growing by day, at least 2 out of 4 singles matches will be tough. Any messing around with doubles team composition is inexcusable.
Bopanna is not one of life’s natural-born leaders, but the tall Coorgi needed to step it up in the match. He was the highest ranked player on the court, by far, and should have been inspiring his less-experienced partner. But Bopanna was happy to remain in the shadows and survive on his serve. Raja made a few clever interceptions at the net with Bopanna serving, but Bopanna did very little to protect Raja’s under-fire serve.
Keep Bopanna out of this tie. With no regular Indian parter, he is not cut out for DC. Simple!

- Varma
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by Prashant »

Varma wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2017 5:25 pm Keep Bopanna out of this tie. With no regular Indian parter, he is not cut out for DC.
So what's your ideal team, assuming no changes in fitness?
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by Varma »

On current form and fitness, my picks would be...

Singles: RamK, Yuki
Doubles: Divij-Purav with Paes-Purav as the second choice
Reserves: Sumit, Vishnu(or)Bala

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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by prasen9 »

Varma for president! I mean selector. I do not know about the second choice doubles team, but, for the first choice I agree with the team. I would hope that Saketh will become fit and challenge the top two and/or be a reserve. Mahesh should tell these guys to play some matches together in the tour. For example, if he wants to put up Bopanna-Saketh, he should tell them to play together whenever/if possible.
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by jayakris »

Unless Bops plays regularly (or at least 2-3 events before he tie) with Sumit or a healthy Saketh, I think Varma's team is the best. Purav-Divij can handle the Chinese and there is no need to roll the dice on this. We absolutely MUST plan to win the doubles match, because we can't be sure of winning 3 singles matches against anybody decent.

The problem is that neither MB nor LP has ever shown an understanding of the importance of having enough doubles matches together. All through their own history. They both seem to think that good doubles players could just walk in with anybody and win doubles matches. Even they themselves have not individually managed to do that always, and every time they tried to do that together by walking in and playing with each other at top events, they failed (except in Davis Cup though they were against easier opponents). But that never stopped them from trying it at multiple Olympics and repeatedly coming up empty. Still their opinions never changed on enough mach practice together for a doubles team. I don't think MB feels like we do, that a regular team is a serious advantage. Maybe he is even somewhat right if we are playing against the top-10 type Davis Cup teams, when we anyway have to hope/pray for some super show from Bops (who is occasionally capable of that, but doesn't come through often enough) or a big-serving singles player playing with him... But against lower teams, a regular good-quality team can win the doubles match and give us a big leg up. Divij-Puav for sure against the Chinas of the world. I hope MB will look at this the right way, and will listen to Varma.
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by Varma »

If what we hear through the grapevine turns out to be true, Lee-Pu would be my alternate choice to DiPu :p. Otherwise, a second choice was not necessary for doubles.

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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by jayakris »

Lee-Pu would be good too, and there is no big Leepu of faith we have to make, to send them in :) Jay
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by Prashant »

Varma wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2017 6:20 pm On current form and fitness, my picks would be...

Singles: RamK, Yuki
Doubles: Divij-Purav with Paes-Purav as the second choice
Reserves: Sumit, Vishnu(or)Bala
That is a sensible & reasonable team. I disagree with most of you on the selection of a doubles pair at all, but if one granted that approach, your team makes sense.

But, we see just how fragile Yuki is. We got 8 sets out of him this tie & he promptly broke down in the very next match he played. I don't think we should ever rely on him to play 2 singles with a high degree of confidence. Which is why, I'd still take our top 3 singles players, whoever they are, and one doubles specialist.

I disagree with Jay's notion that a good doubles player can't just pair up with someone and win a match - the good doubles players from most other countries don't seem to have trouble with this at all. Maybe it is just MB/LP/RB who do. But, I think two doubles specialists puts us at a reasonably high risk of having to field one of them in a singles rubber on day 3.
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by PKBasu »

As long as MB is captain, there's zero chance of LP being picked. The obvious choice, given his life time ofDavis Cup achievements, would be Leander-anyone as our doubles pair. In reality we are in danger of relegation to a level in the Davis Cup we haven't plumbed in 60 years.
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by S_K_S »

Why are you guys so convinced that Divij/Purav are the answer? To win a world group playoff Davis Cup, pairs need to be winning ATP tournaments. As a pair their ATP tournament win record is very poor.
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Re: Davis Cup 2017 - India

Post by Varma »

S_K_S wrote: Wed Sep 20, 2017 11:09 pm Why are you guys so convinced that Divij/Purav are the answer? To win a world group playoff Davis Cup, pairs need to be winning ATP tournaments. As a pair their ATP tournament win record is very poor.
Because they are the only current "Indian" pair with experience playing tour level events. If Rohan had any leadership qualities (just the way Sukhwant's article pointed), I would have certainly picked him along with whoever suits him better as a partner (Purva/Divij/Jeevan). This is considering all the politics that keeps Lee away from the team. But Bopanna is only here to show off his higher ranking and grab his spot, nothing more!

- Varma
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