CHENNAI: After some deliberation, the All India Tennis Association (AITA), on Thursday, picked Bengaluru to host the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I second round tie against Uzbekistan from April 7-9.
The city was also the preferred location for the World Group Playoff fixture versus Serbia in September 2014, which went the distance, with India clawing back from a 0-2 deficit only to lose the final rubber in anticlimactic fashion.
Importantly, the clash will mark the debut of new skipper Mahesh Bhupathi, 12-time Grand Slam champion and veteran of 35 Cup ties. In fact, he and Leander Paes hold the record for the longest doubles win streak in the event — an unbeaten run of 24 after which the duo stopped playing together.
Bhupathi refused to divulge too much about the reasoning behind choosing Bengaluru, even quipping that he wants to keep the visitors guessing.
“I requested for Bengaluru when I spoke to the AITA because I feel it will suit our game plan against the opposition. That’s all I’m going to say,” he told Express. “If I divulge the exact reason why I picked the city, the Uzbeks will come fully prepared, won’t they?”
It remains to be seen if Bhupathi will stick to the ‘three singles players’ approach preferred by predecessor Anand Amritraj... If so, will 18-time Major winner Paes be part of the 42-year-old’s plans when the team is announced?
“The AITA selection committee will meet on March 6 in New Delhi to select a six-member squad, four of whom will be on the list sent to the International Tennis Federation about two weeks before the tie,” committee chairman SP Misra said.
AITA general secretary Hironmoy Chatterjee added that aside from Bengaluru, the association also considered Pune, which held the first round tie in February. Nobody wants Uzbek No 1 Denis Istomin to go on a tear like he did against defending champion Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.
“Bengaluru was the primary option, but we were also looking at Pune as an alternative. Both cities are situated at high altitude, which means flat-hitters like Istomin will have a hard time controlling high-rising balls,” Chatterjee opined.
rohan@newindianexpress.com