Davis Cup: Nagal, Bhambri To Lead India Against South Korea

Davis Cup: Nagal, Bhambri to lead India against South Korea (Image Source: IANS)

Davis Cup Qualifiers: India will bank on singles leader Sumit Nagal and doubles specialist Yuki Bhambri when the team travels to Seoul for a high-stakes Davis Cup Qualifiers second-round tie against South Korea on September 18 and 19, with a place in the Final 8 at stake.

The tie will be played on hard courts at the Olympic Tennis Centre, with the winner earning a berth in the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, in November.

Nagal, ranked 235th in the world, will spearhead India's singles contingent alongside Dhakshineswar Suresh (No. 393) and 19-year-old Manas Dhamne (No. 362), who receives his maiden Davis Cup call-up.

Bhambri, India's highest-ranked doubles player at No. 28, is set to team up with N Sriram Balaji, ranked 57th in doubles. The selection largely retains the group that delivered a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in Bengaluru in the opening round.

Suresh was the standout performer in that tie, contributing to all three Indian wins. He began by defeating world No. 88 Jasper de Jong in the second singles rubber before combining with Bhambri to claim the doubles point. He then held his nerve in the deciding fifth rubber, defeating Guy Den Ouden to secure India's passage to the second round.

The inclusion of Dhamne is the only major addition to the core squad, with Siddharth Rawat named reserve and Arnab Paparkar included as an additional reserve following his recent performances.

The Seoul clash carries added significance for India as it will be the country's first appearance in the second round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers since the current format was introduced in 2019. Victory would also take India into the Final 8 for the first time under the revamped structure.

South Korea, meanwhile, have experience of competing at the expanded Davis Cup Finals, having featured in the 16-team event in 2022 and 2023.

India have a strong historical record in the competition, finishing runners-up three times, in 1966, 1974 and 1987, although those achievements came under previous formats. Their most recent meeting with South Korea was in 2016, when India registered a 4-1 win in an Asia/Oceania Group I tie on grass in Chandigarh.

With Seoul offering a direct route to the Final 8, India will be seeking to build on the momentum from their victory over the Netherlands and make a breakthrough under the current Davis Cup format.

India squad for Davis Cup tie vs South Korea: Sumit Nagal, Manas Dhamne, Dhakshineswar Suresh, Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji

With Seoul offering a direct route to the Final 8, India will be seeking to build on the momentum from their victory over the Netherlands and make a breakthrough under the current Davis Cup format.

Additional reserve: Arnab Paparkar

Article Source: IANS