India is all set to compete in the Davis Cup World Group I clash against Sweden on Saturday, 14th September. The Indian team is missing some of its key players this time, with doubles player Yuki Bhambri and singles ace Sumit Nagal absent from the tournament. However, the team still fancies its chances of securing a maiden victory against Sweden. India has never beaten Sweden in Davis Cup history and has now arrived in Stockholm.
The first day will feature singles matches, while the doubles and reverse singles will be played on Sunday. The matches on Day 1 are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
India to start with Balaji and Ramkumar
Olympian N Sriram Balaji will begin India’s campaign against 238th-ranked Elias Ymer on the indoor hard courts at the Royal Tennis Hall. Ramkumar Ramanathan will face Sweden’s No.2 player, Leo Borg, in the second singles match on the opening day.
The Indian team has opted to rely on Balaji and Ramkumar for the first day’s matches, as both were instrumental in India’s 4-0 win over Pakistan in the World Group play-off earlier in Islamabad.
Indoor court might help
The team hopes to break the trend in their sixth attempt, especially since the Swedish line-up isn’t very intimidating. The medium-speed indoor court at the Royal Tennis Hall will favour Sweden, but India would have preferred a faster surface, given its advantage with big servers. Indoor courts are generally fast, and the ball moves quickly since external factors like wind don’t affect play.
Day-2 line-up dependent on results
Based on the results of the opening day, the captain will have the option to change players for the reverse singles. The winner of the tie will move on to next year’s Qualifiers, while the loser will compete in the World Group I play-offs.
Davis Cup India vs Sweden draw
| Date | Match | India | Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 14 | Singles Match 1 | Sriram Balaji | Elias Ymer |
| September 14 | Singles Match 2 | Ramkumar Ramanathan | Leo Borg |
| September 15 | Doubles Match | Balaji & Ramkumar | Filip Bergevi & Andre Goransson |
| September 15 | Singles Match 3 | Ramkumar Ramanathan | Elias Ymer |
| September 15 | Singles Match 4 | Sriram Balaji | Leo Borg |
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