India’s Alpine Test: Captain Rajpal on the Davis Cup Clash in Switzerland
Ahead of the crucial Davis Cup World Group I tie, the Indian team has been hard at work in Switzerland, acclimatizing to the indoor conditions. We sat down with non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal for a brief chat where he discussed the team’s thorough preparation, the thought process behind the singles nominations, and his take on the conditions and the Swiss challenge.
Preview of the Rubbers
The tie, set to be played on indoor hard courts, will kick off on Friday with two singles matches. India’s challenge will be led by its top-ranked singles player, Sumit Nagal, who will play the second rubber against Switzerland’s number two, Dominic Stricker. The opening match of the tie will feature Ramkumar Ramanathan against the Swiss number one, Marc-Andrea Hüsler.
Saturday’s schedule is packed with a crucial doubles match followed by two reverse singles. The doubles rubber is expected to be a key decider, likely featuring an experienced Indian pair against the Swiss duo of Hüsler and Stricker. The day will conclude with the reverse singles, where Sumit Nagal will face Marc-Andrea Hüsler, and Ramkumar Ramanathan will take on Dominic Stricker, if the tie is still live. Playing away from home, the Indian team faces a tough challenge against a strong Swiss side. Viewers in India can watch the tie live on the Prasar Bharati Sports YouTube channel, while the broadcast in Switzerland will be handled by SRF Sport.
Q: What was the thought process behind choosing the players for Day 1 of the tie?
Rohit Rajpal: We got here early and were practicing indoors in similar conditions, about 50 kms from here. The selection was based on current form. We played a lot of sets with each other, and the players who did well and found the surface suiting them were the ones we felt would be best to play.
Q: How has your preparation been in Switzerland over the past few days?
Rohit Rajpal: It’s been going well. As I said, we got here early and were using a facility about an hour from here. We had some long sessions, some good physio sessions, and some good gym sessions. So, I’m quite happy with the kind of work we’ve put in over the last few days. Now, let’s see what happens.
Q: How do you find these indoor playing conditions?
Rohit Rajpal: We’ve played indoors a lot. The players are all professionals, so they play around the world, both outdoors and indoors. We do find the center court to be slower than the outside court, but that is as per expectation. Around the world, center courts are often used less and hence tend to be slower and sticky on the shoes. So, it’s as we expected.
Q: What are your thoughts on the players selected by Switzerland for the opening singles matches?
Rohit Rajpal: We were expecting them to play their two best guys, and I think that’s what they’ve done. So, it’s not a surprise for us.
