New Delhi, Sep 23 (Inditop.com) India travel to Russia to play their first round in the Davis Cup World Group from March 5-7.
India made it to the elite 16-team World Group for the first time in 11 years defeating South Africa 4-1 in the play-off over the weekend.
The two countries have met thrice, in 1974, 1982, 1986, and India are 2-1 up head-to-head.
Since India last hosted the then USSR here, it is now Russia’s turn to host. India had won that tie in the capital 4-1.
Russia had advanced to the quarterfinals for the 10th time in 11 years in 2009 before losing to Israel in Tel Aviv in July.
The tie will be a tough one for India as the Russians have won the Cup twice (2002, 2006) and have an awesome record of winning 16 times at home since 1996.
Russia will be without their only Grand Slam winner in contemporary tennis, Marat Safin, who is retiring at the end of the year. But that should hardly affect the team’s chances against India as they have four players in the top 50 of the ATP rankings, Nikolay Davydenko being the highest at eight.
Dmitry Tursunov (38), and Igor Andreev(43). The young Igor Kunitsyn (45) have all shown enormous promise in recent years.
Reacting to the draw that took place in Geneva Wednesday, hero of India’s entry into the World Group Somdev Devvarman said the task is “daunting.”
“Russia is an extremely tough team to play in the first round. The task is daunting,” Somdev said.
“But having said that, I feel in Davis Cup everyone has a chance and we will have to prepare really well to take on one of the top Davis Cup nations.
‘We will have to play our best tennis if we have to beat the likes of Davydenko, Youzhny, Andreev in their own back yard.”
The winners of India-Russia tie play the winners of the tie between Sweden and Argentina in the quarter-finals.
The 2010 World Group draw: (a)Spain vs. Switzerland (b) Germany vs. France (c) Argentina vs. Sweden (d) Ecuador vs. Croatia (e) Serbia vs. US (f) Chile vs. Israel (g) Belgium vs. Czech Republic.
rounak