Ramkumar Ramanathan (Indian Express)
India is set to take on Denmark in World Group 1 Playoffs in New Delhi – Ramkumar Ramanathan set to feature
Ramkumar Ramanathan, India’s No. 1 singles player will be the highest-ranked man on display in the Davis Cup tie between Indian and Denmark. India is hosting Denmark on March 4 and 5 at the Delhi Gymkhana Club. India has fielded a strong team of Ramkumar Ramanathan, Rohan Bopanna, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Divij Sharan and Yuki Bhambri for the tie led by non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal and coach Zeeshan Ali.
Ramanathan is ranked 177 which makes him the highest-ranked player in the tie, both teams combined. He has previously defeated former World No. 8, Dominic Thiem, in an ATP event and is known to be a giant killer. Ramanathan will be leading India’s charge against Denmark and the 27-year old is pretty upbeat about it. “It is always a proud feeling for me to play the Davis Cup. This tie against Denmark is going to be tough, we can’t just think about the rankings or the player who we are playing against. It is the Davis Cup and every point counts”, said Ramanathan speaking on the day before the match. He further added, “You are playing for the country so obviously there is going to be nerves. But with all our experience, the team and the coaches, I really feel we can pull this through.”
The last time India hosted a Davis Cup tie was in 2019 in Kolkata and lost 1-3 against Italy. This is the first time since 1984 that India and Denmark will be facing each other – India won 3-2 in Aarhus on that occasion.
India are going into the tie arguably as favourites both in terms of playing conditions and rankings. The match will be played on grass courts which could be a key advantage for the home team. Denmark meanwhile, will play with a nothing-to-lose approach and will rely heavily on the 6 ft 4 inches tall Mikael Torpegaard, their highest-ranked player.
Besides the surface and rankings, home advantage always plays a crucial role in matches like these. India will have the advantage of home crowd as fans will be allowed inside the stadium. The tickets have been made free at the Delhi Gymkhana Club. Playing in the home stadium in front of home crowd will definitely be a boost for the Indian team.
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