The presence of Novak Djokovic in the Serbian team will come as a boon for the Indian tennis fans, but will tilt the tie heavily in favour of the visitor, feels Indian Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali.
Djokovic, the world No. 1, has been included in the Serbian team for its Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against India, which begins at the KSLTA Stadium here on September 12.
“Djokovic’s inclusion is great for tennis in the country, and for the fans in India. The amount of interest it has generated has been staggering. I have been told that tickets are already sold out, which is quite rare for a Davis Cup tie in India,” Ali said here on Thursday.
“From a team perspective, his inclusion tilts the balance in Serbia’s favour big time. Even without him, all their singles and doubles players are ranked higher than our players. But, I would like to stay firm in my belief that rankings do not make a difference in the Davis Cup. Anything is possible,” he stated. The 44-year-old threw his weight behind India’s leading singles player, Somdev Devvarman, who recently decided to skip the upcoming Asian Games to concentrate on improving his world ranking. “It is a personal decision, and I can understand his point. He is 29, which means he may not have many years of professional tennis left in him. So, he obviously wants to capitalise on his form to improve his ranking.
“Having said that, we will miss him at the Asian Games. As the reigning champion, he had a good chance of doing well. It is a loss that we will have to deal with,” he said.
Ali, a former Davis Cupper and Asian Games gold medallist, dismissed any notion that Devvarman let the country down by pulling out. “I don’t believe that at all. There is no issue of commitment, be it with Somdev or any other Indian player. It is just the timing that has influenced his decision. Somdev knows what is best for his career,” he said.
