Bengaluru, February 4: India is gearing up for the Davis Cup Qualifier Round 1 match against the Netherlands on February 7-8. Under the guidance of national team captain Rohit Rajpal, the team is undergoing rigorous training at the S.M. Krishna Tennis Stadium in Bengaluru.
Karun Singh and Ritvik Bollipalli kicked off their training session on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, Sumit Nagal, Southineshwar Suresh, and Yuki Bhambri will join the team today as preparations intensify for this crucial home match.
Currently ranked 33rd in the Davis Cup nations, India faces a formidable Dutch team, which ranks 6th in the world and was the runner-up in the 2024 Davis Cup finals. However, the Indian team can draw inspiration from its history, notably when they pulled off a major upset against the Netherlands in February 1996 in Jaipur. On that occasion, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi staged a remarkable comeback after trailing 1-2, leading India to victory.
Rajpal, who has been the captain since 2019, aims to replicate that success against the Dutch team. He stated, “If we play as we did in Switzerland, where all players were at their peak, I believe we can win this tie. Since I became captain, we have started preparing the team early. Our goal is to gradually reduce the load; we begin each day with two heavy sessions and slowly taper off so that everyone peaks at the right time and performs their best.”
Indian Tennis icon Mahesh Bhupathi also expressed his support for the team, saying, “I want to wish the team good luck before the Davis Cup tie. I have great memories of playing against the Dutch team, especially when we defeated them in Jaipur in 1996. It shows that anything is possible in the Davis Cup. The team must stay motivated and work hard.”