PAES MAKES A COMEBACK FOR DAVIS CUP TIE
AITA PICKS FIVE-MEMBER TEAM FOR TIE AGAINST PAKISTAN
NEW DELHI: The ageless Leander Paes on Thursday made a comeback to India’s Davis Cup squad that will take on Pakistan in the Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie on November 29-30 at a yet to be named venue.
Paes returned to the team after more than a year as the All India Tennis Association (AITA) named four others—Sumit Nagal, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Saketh Myneni and Rohan Bopanna—in the squad under non-playing skipper Rohit Rajpal. Three others— Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, Siddharth Rawat and Sasikumar Mukund— have been named in the reserves.
“As the venue and surface is still unknown, the selection committee decided to have three reserve players for only this particular tie,” AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee said in a statement. Usually one or a maximum of two players are named as reserves. “The final team will be communicated to the ITF after receiving their communication on November 18,” Chatterjee added. The 46-year-old Paes had not been considered for selection ever since he won his record-breaking doubles contest against China in April 2018. The 1996 Atlanta Olympics bronze medallist had become the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup when he and Bopanna beat Ze Zhang and Mao Xin Gong, earning Paes his 43rd victory to take him past Italian Nicola Pietrangeli (42).
That win not only sealed Paes’ name in the history books but also sparked India’s comeback win, rallying from being 0-2 down to win the tie 3-2 and thereby booking their place in the World Group playoff for the fifth consecutive year. Having made his Davis Cup debut in 1990, Paes is one of the most experienced players on the circuit and has competed in 56 ties, amassing a winloss record of 91-35.
RAJPAL’S TENURE
There is also a question mark on Rajpal’s tenure as skipper as the AITA statement said that he had been appointed non-playing captain “for this tie”. It remains to be seen whether he will continue as skipper after this contest.
Davis Cup squad: Sumit Nagal, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Saketh Myneni, Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes. Reserves: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, Sasikumar Mukund and Siddharth Rawat.