“Home Advantage Is Big” – Team India Press Conference Ahead of Davis Cup Tie vs Netherlands
Team India addressed the media ahead of their crucial Davis Cup tie against Netherlands in Bangalore. Captain Rohit Rajpal, along with Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri, Dhakshineswar Suresh, Sriram Balaji, and Karan Singh shared their thoughts on playing at home, team combinations, and the challenge that lies ahead.
Q: Bangalore has been a lucky hard court for us – we’ve won about three of the five times we played here. Thoughts on playing in Bangalore and of course the opponents, the Netherlands?
Rohit Rajpal: So yeah, I’m coming to Bangalore after a very long time and I was telling a lot of the KSLTA people – Bangalore has changed quite a bit but very pleasantly. The stadium, the courts, the people, the offices, the food – I think it’s fantastic over here and I think KSLTA and Bangalore is ready to host even bigger events. So I think my compliments to everybody over here.
Q: Question for Captain. Captain, Rithvik was initially nominated in the squad and now we see Yuki and Balaji for the doubles. So can you talk about that change in combination?
Rohit Rajpal: I think, as you know, we got here early and we’ve been playing a lot of sets and had extensive practice sessions. We just felt that Bala just played – he’s been playing tournaments back to back and he just played in Bahrain, had a very good result and came here. And Rithvik for that matter, I mean he’s playing very well. It was a difficult decision but I think that he’s not played actively in tournaments for the last month and a half, two months. And Bala being very sharp, fantastic result last week. So we thought it would be better that instead of getting Rithvik into a tough pressurized Davis Cup match, give him more time to gradually come back in.
Q: This question is for Sumit. Obviously there are not many tour stops in the world where tournaments are played at an altitude like this, like Bangalore. It’s not super high, but it’s still hard. How long does it take, would you say, for you to acclimatize to these conditions? And what really is the key in acclimatizing here?
Sumit Nagal: Personally for me I would say three to four days. If I’m playing in a very high altitude place I would like to go at least three to four days prior to the tournament. I would say just hitting balls. Weather wise obviously Bangalore is great. Majority of the tournaments you play on high altitude, it’s very rare that it’s super hot. So yeah just hitting balls, getting in a lot of crosscourt, a lot of lines, getting a feel of it. That’s it.
Q: (To Dhakshineswar) Does it take time for you to get used to these conditions or are you very comfortable playing in these conditions?
Dhakshineswar Suresh: I’m actually very comfortable playing in these situations. I’ve been here a few times in the last couple of months as well, so coming in here doesn’t feel that different. We’ve been playing tennis for a long time, so we’ve had to get used to conditions. We’re traveling every week to play tournaments, so I would say like Sumit said, three to four days is a good time to get used to these conditions.
Q: My question is to Dhakshineswar. You’ve played here about two tournaments already in the past couple of months. To play those tournaments and especially the WTL where you were teaming up with some big names, how much of those things does it help when you come into these kind of team events?
Dhakshineswar Suresh: Playing those team environments, especially being in college as well, I’ve been in a team for a long time and then playing WTL and playing with India and going to Switzerland for the first time being with Team India was an unreal experience as well. And then doing this for my second time in front of the home crowd as well, it’s a really big honor. And yeah I’m pretty comfortable with team situations so we’ve been having good team chemistry on and off court as well so we’re excited to compete.
Q: My next question is to Yuki. Just talking about your combination with Balaji and how the last few days have been for both of you here and also you know now you’re leading the doubles charge for India. How does that confidence kind of help this week for you?
Yuki Bhambri: I think all the doubles players from India who regularly play on the ATP Tour, Challenger Tour, most of us are sort of playing similar events, traveling together, training together, so that definitely helps. We were here right before the season started in December with a two week camp as well playing with everybody. So I think in that sense, all of us are quite comfortable playing with each other, understand each other. We’ve been on the tour for so long, friends for so long, that probably should help us in playing this tie and competing. We’ve had obviously great tennis players, great doubles, slam winners as well. Just happy to be here competing again to be part of the Davis Cup squad and making that switch from having represented India in singles all my life to now trying to get that one crucial point for the country.
Q: So anybody can answer this question. Whenever you’re playing at home, there’s always an advantage scenario. But when you’re playing at home, there’s always two sides of the coin as well. So for example, from the fans’ perspective, they’ll want you to win. So does that also always create an additional pressure, though they’ll always be supporting you?
Sriram Balaji: I mean, obviously it’s better for us when we play at home, we get the home crowd support and we wouldn’t think that it’s a pressure. Obviously, everyone is stepping on court to win the match. But when you have, especially in a team atmosphere, when you have the captain, coach and the whole team sitting behind you, you trust each other, you leave the rest behind and just focus on the match.
Q: Are the nerves different when you play at home and do you feel any kind of – or is it the same playing at home and away? I mean in terms of nerves and being prepared.
Sumit Nagal: Definitely not. Home advantage is big in any sport. Being in tennis, when I had to play a match in the Olympics for example, I had five people cheering for me in front of 7000 French people. Obviously if you are there for three hours, four hours it makes a huge difference. We are hoping that the Netherlands people go through the same thing tomorrow. And those three or four, five, six hours, whatever amount of time they spend, I hope we will make it hell for them.
Q: Same question, when did you first understand what that is, playing at home and playing away? How young were you?
Yuki Bhambri: It’s not just the tennis court, but just the overall week as well. You’re eating food that you enjoy, you have a lot more people here supporting you, you’re in a city that you like, you’re in a country that you want to be at. And as tennis players we travel the whole world and we’ve always – any opportunity to come back home as well to be playing in conditions that we know and conditions that we’ve all grown up in. We’ve been playing all over the country, all in Bangalore since each of us probably at 13, 14 years old from junior events. So just that familiarity coming back, I think makes a big difference, of course. And we all know how big an advantage it is to have the home crowd supporting as well. You’re able to give just that much more, which might enable you to push you over the line and help your team get an extra point.
Rohit Rajpal: I think the whole format of Home and Away, it’s a beautiful format and in fact there’s a lot of discussion on this in Davis Cup in ITF and a lot of the players have been very vocal about coming back to the old format which is Home and Away as well. It depends, some of the best players don’t make very good Davis Cuppers. How you use the energy of the crowd – whether it’s in your favor or against your favor – to translate it onto court, I think it’s very, very important. So I definitely think that when you have so many people and the energy behind you, it should energize you to come up with your best. However, these guys are professionals, they’re traveling all around everywhere and they see this, even if they’re playing themselves, that sometimes crowd is supporting the other guy, they are against it. So you use that also to get your best out. So I think both ways – that’s what I think good tennis players are made of, where they can really use everything to their advantage.
Q: Dhakshineswar, in a very short time you have become a very key member of this team and you are carrying the weight of expectations and it is hoped that if something goes wrong probably you will win the match for India. Can you talk about that carrying weight of expectation not only from the team but also from people who are watching from outside?
Dhakshineswar Suresh: It’s a team effort over here. Everyone’s putting in the same amount of work off the court, on court, people cheering us on from home, in front of home. It’s not just one guy carrying the team. We have a lot of practice sessions and then the captain and the coach takes a decision on who needs to play the tie. So whoever was playing the best in that given week will be playing for the team. So yeah, I’m just glad that I’ve been playing well and then I’m able to step up for India.
Q: Karan, currently you are now also one of the regulars with the Indian team. You will get your chance to play obviously in future. So talk about this experience of being with the Indian team and learning a few things, although it is a very short period, maybe 10 days together.
Karan Singh: Yeah, I mean, of course, it’s been my second or third time here with the team. And of course, I love the environment. Everyone’s treating me well here and everyone has been so kind. So it’s, I mean, a learning process for me as well. I’m learning from my seniors and everyone. And hopefully one day I will get a chance to play. And these guys have been doing pretty well. So I mean, when I’ll get my chance, I will give my 100 percent as well.
With confidence, camaraderie, and home advantage on their side, Team India wrapped up the press conference ready to take on the Netherlands tomorrow. The tie promises intense competition as India looks to make the most of playing in front of their home crowd in Bangalore.
