Davis Cup 2022 | Big boost to Team India as World no.88 Holger Rune pulls out from the tie

Davis Cup 2022 | Big boost to Team India as World no.88 Holger Rune pulls out from the tie

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A file image of Holger Rune.

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(Getty)

After Holger Rune, Denmark's top-ranked singles player, chose to withdraw from the Davis Cup 2022 World Group I playoffs, India received a big boost for their tie starting on March 4. Rune, the world No. 88, was anticipated to spearhead Denmark's effort on the Delhi Gymkhana Club's grass courts.

The 18-year-old is the only Danish player in the Top-200 in the ATP singles rankings, having won the junior French Open championship in 2019. In Rune's absence, India's Ramkumar Ramanathan ranked 177th in the world, would be the top-ranked singles player in the Davis Cup 2022 clash between India and Denmark.

Frederik Nielsen, a doubles veteran who has a career-high ranking of 17 in doubles, will now lead the visiting side.

Denmark's top-ranked singles player will be Mikael Torpegaard (world No. 210), with Johannes Ingildsen (805), Christian Sigsgaard (833), and Elmer Moller (1708) rounding out the five-man roster for the World Group I playoff.

“Denmark team is still more than capable of doing well, despite its top player missing out on the action. We need to focus on our strengths and that will be our strategy going forward,” India’s non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal said.

The Indian team, which is presently ranked 22nd in the Davis Cup standings, will not take the Danes lightly, since they are rated 28 places behind them. Apart from Ramkumar Ramanathan, the Indian team for the Denmark tie includes Prajnesh Gunneswaran (232), Yuki Bhambri (662), Divij Sharan (133-doubles), and doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna (36-doubles).

One doubles match and four singles matches will be played in the World Group I playoffs tie. This would also be the first time the two teams have met since 1984, when India triumphed 3-2 on clay in Aarhus, Denmark.

The Indian squad has included three reserve players - Niki Poonacha, Saketh Myneni, and Digvijay Pratap Singh - as a precautionary measure owing to COVID-19. India's coach will be Zeeshan Ali.

The victor of the tie between India and Denmark will advance to World Group I matches in September, while the losers would be relegated to Group II of the men's team tennis event.

In the Davis Cup 2021 season, India was relegated to the Group I playoffs after losing to Finland in a Group I tie.

TEAM

Ramkumar Ramanathan, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Yuki Bhambri, Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan

Reserves: Niki Poonacha, Saketh Myneni, Digvijay Pratap Singh

Coach: Zeeshan Ali 

Non-playing captain: Rohit Rajpal

Denmark

Team: Mikael Torpegaard, Johannes Ingildsen, Christian Sigsgaard, Elmer Moller, Frederik Nielsen (captain)

Coaches: Martin Killemose Linnet and Jacob Holst

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