India eye upset against Djokovic-less Serbia
Visitors count on Gunneswaran and experience
India’s depleted Davis Cup squad will bank on the consistency of Prajnesh Gunneswaran to pull the side through when they take on a Serbia shorn of US Open champion Novak Djokovic in the World Group Play-off tie from today.
Djokovic’s decision to opt out of the play-offs along with world No. 33 Filip Krajinovic has raised hopes of an equal contest between the two teams.
Playing away is still an enormous task for the Indian team, who landed in Serbia without top singles player Yuki Bhambri and Asian Games men’s doubles gold medallist Divij Sharan.
But the combined experience of the Indian players in Davis Cup is 43 matches as compared to just 14 of the line-up in the home side, something which the visitors ■ would look to exploit. In the absence of an injured Yuki, a lot would depend on how the left-handed Prajnesh, who won a singles bronze medal at the Asian Games, performs.
The 28-year-old won the deciding fifth rubber against rising Chinese star Yibing Wu to help India reach the World Group Play-off stage for the fifth straight year.
Prajnesh has shown the mental strength to soak in the pressure and he is confident going into the tie which will be played indoors on clay courts.
“Novak is not playing, so everyone else is beatable if we play well. It will be tough certainly. But we have a chance. We need to take the opportunities we get,” Prajnesh said.
“Our chances remain the same. After Novak pulled out, we believe we have a chance,” said India’s non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi.
Rohan Bopanna will be the most experienced player on the courts with 29 ties under his belt.