Following injured Yuki Bhambri’s withdrawal from India’s forthcoming Asia/Oceania Group I second-round tie against Uzbekistan, there has emerged a strong possibility that either Leander Paes or Rohan Bopanna could fill the fourth slot in the team.
Both Paes and Bopanna are included as reserves in the Indian team. However, Mahesh Bhupathi, the Indian Davis Cup team captain, is yet to confirm the final four-man team roster that will play the tie that is to be held at the KSLTA stadium in Bengaluru, from April 7-9.
According to a report by PTI earlier on Wednesday, Paes, however, has already hit the practice court and has begun his training at the stadium. Paes practiced with the Indian coach Zeeshan Ali and a few other junior players for about three hours, focusing on his serves, forehands and backhands.
The 43-year-old joined the team on Tuesday evening after returning from Leon, Mexico where he won the ATP Challenger tournament on Sunday, partnering Canada’s Adil Shamasdin.
On the subject of Paes’ practice session being a potential indicator of his inclusion into the squad, Bhupathi, however, noted, “The team has not yet been finalised. I have seen Leander for the first time today. Let us see how it goes. He looks fresh. He looks good. He is going to play some sets and then let us see.”
Speaking about the playing conditions in Leon and Bengaluru, Bhupathi agreed that they were similar in nature. “Yeah, [it] definitely helps, for Leander played in similar conditions in Mexico [last week].”