New Delhi, Sept 16:
India’s Davis Cup campaign has suffered a setback with experienced doubles player Yuki Bhambri ruled out of the second-round Qualifiers tie against South Korea due to a thigh injury.
India will face South Korea in Seoul on September 18 and 19, with the winner advancing to the Final 8 stage of the Davis Cup. Bhambri’s absence has forced captain Rohit Rajpal to rethink his doubles combination just days before the tie.
Bhambri sustained the injury around the US Open and had already been doubtful for the Korea tie. Rajpal confirmed that the player would not be available, saying the team now had to work on an alternative combination despite having planned its doubles strategy around Bhambri.
Bhambri had formed an effective partnership with Dhakshineswar Suresh in India’s previous Davis Cup tie against the Netherlands in Bengaluru. The combination worked because their strengths complemented each other, with Bhambri providing strong returns while Suresh’s powerful serve and net play helped balance the partnership.
“Yuki is not doing too well with his thigh,” Rajpal said, according to reports. He acknowledged that having to change the doubles combination at this stage was not ideal, but the injury had left the team with little choice.
N Sriram Balaji is now expected to play a major role in India’s doubles plans. Balaji has recently broken into the world’s top 50 in doubles and has emerged as a leading option for the crucial rubber.
“Bala is playing very, very well. He is going to be the anchor for doubles this time,” Rajpal said.
India’s doubles strategy will also have to take into account the conditions in Seoul and the workload on players who may be required to compete in singles as well as doubles.
The tie is particularly important for India as victory would take the team into the Final 8 for the first time under the current Davis Cup format. India reached the second round after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 in Bengaluru in February, while South Korea booked its place by defeating former champions Argentina 3-2.
India and South Korea are ranked 19th and 16th respectively in the Davis Cup standings. The two sides last met in 2016, when India won 4-1 in Chandigarh.
Bhambri’s withdrawal therefore leaves India with a significant selection decision ahead of the Seoul tie. With the doubles rubber potentially playing a decisive role, Rajpal and his team will now have to settle on a new combination while also managing the demands on their singles players.