CHENNAI: It was over four decades ago that Pune last hosted a Davis Cup tie. Back in 1974, the Amritraj brothers guided hosts India to a 3-1 win over USSR on the grass courts at the Deccan Gymkhana. In doing so, India reached its second Davis Cup Final, one they forfeited in a revolt of opponents South Africa’s apartheid policies.
But come February 3 next year, Pune will finally break the jinx. The city will host the Group I Asia/Oceania first round encounter between India and New Zealand at the Balewadi Sports Complex. The former holds a 5-3 record against the latter with the last win coming away in July 2015. The winner will clash with either Uzbekistan or South Korea in April.
Speaking to Express, AITA vice president Bharat Oza said the decision was taken on October 24. “The Complex can even play host to an ATP 250 event! There are seven hard courts, so, players are unlikely to have issues with the venue. Unlike the two previous ties, players were clear from the beginning that they wanted this to be held on hard courts. That made our job a whole lot easier,” he stated.
AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee, however, said the press release would only be sent out once they received the ITF’s feedback. “This needs to be approved by the ITF first. So, it’s not a done deal just yet. Nonetheless, it’s a wonderful stadium and a good fit,” Chatterjee opined.
Oza also mentioned that the tenures of captain Anand Amritraj and coach Zeeshan Ali would end in December. It remains to be seen if they will be retained. “Their performance will be assessed by the selection committee which will submit a report to the executive committee, who will take a call.”
Ali, unaware about his job hanging in the balance, felt the decision to pick Pune would suit the team since many were playing there this week. “Most of our Davis Cuppers took part in the Pune Challenger, so they must know how it plays,” Ali reasoned.
rohan@newindianexpress.com