Davis team Captain Mahesh Bhupathi satisfied with team's preparation
Indian Davis Cup captain Mahesh Bhupathi expressed his satisfaction over the team's preparation ahead of World Group Playoff against Canada. Bhupathi said that Canada will be a stronger opponent than Czech Republic, a side to whom we lost in 2015. Though the Canadian side will not see its star player Milos Raonic in action, the team includes Denis Shapovalov, the new teen sensation.
2017 World Group Playoffs will see participation by 16 teams - 8 losing teams from the 2017 World Group and 8 winning teams from Zone Group I final round ties. The eight winners that emerge from World Group Playoff advance to the 2018 Davis Cup World Group. The playoffs will take place from 15-17 September. India have been drawn against Canada.
The seven other World Group Playoffs include - Kazakhstan vs reigning Davis Cup champions Argentina, Colombia vs Croatia, Switzerland vs Belarus, Netherlands vs Czech Republic, Portugal vs Germany, Japan vs Brazil, and Hungary vs Russia.
The World Group Playoff is contested in a best-of-five rubbers format played over a 3-day weekend. This includes two singles on Friday, a doubles on Saturday, and then reverse singles on Sunday. The four-member squad, which will take on Canada at Edmonton, has Ramkumar Ramanathan, Yuki Bhambri, Saketh Myneni, and Rohan Bopanna, in it. Purav Raja and Prajnesh Gunneswaran are the reserves.
Canada's four member squad includes World number 51 Denis Shapovalov, Vasek Pospisil (82), along with doubles specialist Daniel Nestor, and Brayden Schnur.
