Tennis legend Ramesh Krishnan backs India against Denmark in Davis Cup tie

The former player spoke about the Indian team's chances in the upcoming match-up.

Legendary former Indian tennis player Ramesh Krishnan has said that India stands a good chance against Denmark in the upcoming Davis Cup tie, with the court surface and weather touted to play a big role. He was also of the opinion that the tendency of grass varies from time to time, since the surface slows down on rainy conditions and becomes harder and faster during sunny weather conditions. The match will be held on 4th and 5th March 2022 at the Gymkhana Club in New Delhi.

During the grand conclave organized by ITV network, Ramesh Krishnan maintained that even though Denmark is ranked higher than India, it does not mean that the former is invincible, and that it is a good sign for India that the Danish players are not used to playing on grass. He also opined that India have a favourable draw because of the fact that the matches are being played at home venues, and that the players get to be with Indian coaches and practice with familiar sparring partners. He further added that when he played a Davis Cup match against Denmark in the 80s after the US Open, India managed to beat them even though the tie was held during a cold winter. However, the current weather conditions are in favor of India.

Ramesh went back the memory lane and reminisced that the venue Delhi Gymkhana Club was incidentally where he played his last ever Davis Cup match. “The 1978 Davis Cup match against New Zealand was played at this venue. The National Championship was also organized here in the same year but since then, a lot has changed. Even in best of three sets, the competition is over in two days. I am glad the Davis Cup tradition has not changed, as it generates a lot of interest. It is a privilege to be chosen for the Davis Cup team. I want to wish the Indian team the best of luck for this important tournament," said Ramesh Krishnan.

On the occasion of the conclave, another former Davis Cup player Jasjit Singh, said that since one is representing one’s own country in tournaments like these, it adds a lot of value to the game. He added, “if you have the support of the crowd and fans, it will help you perform well in the competition. We will never forget the moment when we defeated Australia in the Davis Cup match at Kolkata in 1974, for the rest of our lives. Thousands of people were present and the atmosphere was unbelievable.”

Jasjit Singh said that even though many tournaments were held on grass courts during his time, they have now been replaced by hard and clay courts, with even the racket and balls having undergone tremendous transition. The method of training and the manner of playing tennis have changed. He also opined that it would be a pleasant experience to see players playing in India during the tournament, and that it would not be wrong to call a Davis Cup match as a tennis marathon, since he considers it to be higher in value than Grand Slam events.

Former Davis Cup stars Vijay Amritraj, Anand Amritraj, Prakash Amritraj, Jaideep Mukherjee, Nandan Bal, Enrico Piperno, Jasjit Singh, Indian team coach Zeeshan Ali and Rohit Rajpal, became a part of this conclave, along with tennis fans from all over the world.

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