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TRIUMPH India’s Davis Cup Story

TRIUMPH Editor: Manish Kumar India’s Davis Cup Story Design & Layout: Sumit Upreti, Jogesh Antony, Pradeep Kumar Published by: Delhi Gymkhana Club Year of publication: 2022, New Delhi

Dedicated to: Indian tennis players and fans.



Delhi Gymkhana Club



Delhi Gymkhana Club



Overview of the grass courts, Delhi Gymkhana Club



Every tennis fan in the country seems to have their favourite bit of Davis Cup history – whether that is a marvellous recovery in a decider 'set' they recall witnessing at the venue even after several years or decades old 'daring backhand half volley' they have only ever seen on television. We are fortunate that some of these memorable Davis Cup matches have been played here – at Delhi on several occasions, and other venues in the country. Davis Cup and Wimbledon are the two tournaments that are sacred to the Indian tennis players. Even for the tennis fans in the country it's the players' performance in these two tournaments that counts the most. e fact that India have reached the �nals of the Davis Cup thrice is a matter of immense pride to all of us. On the eve of India's Davis Cup tie against Denmark on March 4-5, 2022, which will be played on the pristine grasses of Delhi Gymkhana Club, I extend my best wishes to the members of both teams. I also congratulate the Organising Committee of the Davis Cup 2022 Delhi tie for bringing out a table souvenir on this occasion, which will no doubt regale the a�cionados and cognoscenti alike. Jai Hind! Anurag Singh akur Union Sports Minister

Davis Cup 2022 could well be remembered as a game changer in several ways. In particular, the grandiose of this event will provide the essential visibility of the sport, attracting and inspiring the tennis stars in the making. e event could well be remembered as a watershed in the evolution of the game of tennis in India. Davis Cup returns to the Delhi Gymkhana Lawns after a gap of nearly 50 years. e lush green precincts & perfectly manicured lawns of Delhi Gymkhana Club are probably one of the best settings in the country to host the Davis Cup. On behalf of the organising committee, I wish to express my appreciation and gratitude to Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Finance Minister, Shri Hardeep Puri Petroleum and Urban Affairs Minister, Shri RK Singh Power Minister and Shri Apurva Chandra Secretary Information & Broadcasting for the generous help and support. A special thanks to all the sponsors and everyone involved with the preparation and conduct of this event. On this occasion and for the posterity, I am delighted to present these evocative, pictorial archives that feature nostalgic accounts from tennis legends who have played on the lawns of the club. Let the best team win! Jai Hind! Om Pathak Administrator, Delhi Gymkhana Club

On behalf of All India Tennis Association, I am greatly honoured to welcome the members of Davis Cup Teams from both Denmark and India to the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group 1 Play Off that will take place at Delhi Gymkhanan Club, Delhi on 4th & 5th March 2022. India will lock horns with Denmark after 18 years. e last time the two teams met was in 1984 when India won the away tie in Aarhus. e two teams have met twice previously with India winning the tie in 1984 and Denmark winning the tie in 1927. A win in this tie will put us back to the World Group 1. Denmark will, undoubtedly present a greater challenge for the Indian Team. However, India is also in an impressive form. I am particularly grateful to Delhi Lawn Tennis Association and also the Delhi Gymkhana Club who have undertaken to conduct such a prestigious event on the iconic grass courts of DGC, which is hosting the tie after 4 decades. I wish to make special mention of the efforts put in by the Organizers, especially Shri Om Pathak IAS (Retd), Administrator DGC and Co-Chairman of the Davis Cup Organizing Committee 2022, along with his highly able and dedicated team. I also welcome all the players and officials and wish them an enjoyable and exciting tie. I am sure the event will further strengthen the bond of friendship between the two nations and give boost to the popularity of tennis in India. Dr. Anil Jain AITA President & MP

I am happy to know that the Davis Cup tie between India and Denmark will be held at the beautiful grass courts of Delhi Gymkhana Club on March 4th and 5th, 2022. It is after a gap of �ve decades that a major tennis tournament is being held at the club. In my playing days the National Tennis Championships was a permanent ��ture in the club and all the players looked forward to play in this prestigious club. I take this opportunity to wish both teams and the organisers all the best for a successful Davis Cup tie. Jaidip Mukerjea Member of the Indian team that reached the Davis Cup �nals in 19��

I have the fondest memories of playing some of my best tennis at the beautiful lawns of the Delhi Gymkhana Club all through the 1970s. One of my early big wins came at the club when I beat the American Armstead Neely in �ve sets. en at the �rst Indian Open in 1973 in the �nal I was down 5-2 in the �fth and �nal set against the Australian great, Mail Anderson and won a tense match 11-9 in the �fth. I have numerous wonderful memories from my matches there. It's a joy to meet friends and enjoy time with them at the beautiful club over the years. I wish both teams the very best of luck in this important Davis Cup Tie. Needless to add, I would love to see the Indians pull off a great win and I wish the Danes a great stay in India. I'm sure they will enjoy the world's greatest hospitality in our country and leave with wonderful memories of playing in India. e already great relationship between Denmark and India will only be strengthened by matches such as these. I wish the Delhi Gymkhana Club, its members and organisers, the All India Tennis Association and the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association the best of everything to host a great Davis Cup tie. Best always. Vijay Amritraj Member of the Indian Davis Cup team that reached the �nals in 1974 � 19�7

I am delighted that Delhi Gymkhana Club is hosting the Davis Cup Tie against Denmark on March 4-5, 2022. is takes me back to the bygone days of Indian tennis. Delhi Gymkhana was traditionally a very important venue for tennis in India. Apart from National Championships that were conducted regularly, many signi�cant Davis Cup matches were also held there. My �rst memory of Delhi Gymkhana was the 1973 Grand Prix tennis tournament. As a 12-year-old, I remember Vijay Amritraj winning the title against good international competition. A few years later, I won a National title there and also took part in a Davis Cup tie against New Zealand in January, 1978. is was probably the last Davis Cup tie to be held at Delhi Gymkhana. By the time I was a regular in the Indian Davis Cup team, the venue had shifted to DLTA courts. In recent times, during my visits to Delhi I have always made it a point to visit the club. e grass courts are some of the bests in the world, and the club has the old-world charm. My congratulations to Delhi Gymkhana Club for hosting the Davis Cup tie and I wish the event all success. Ramesh Krishnan Member of the Indian Davis Cup team that reached the �nals in 1987

I am very pleased that the Davis Cup World Group tie between India and Denmark is being organised on grass at Delhi Gymkhana Club in New Delhi on March 4th and 5th, 2022. If my tournament schedule had allowed, I would have been delighted to attend and cheer our team in what promises to be a very exciting tie. My best wishes to all the members of the Indian team for a great showing. Jai Hind! Sania Mirza Former doubles world No.1 & winner of six Grand Slam titles



CONTENTS 01 04-07 INTRODUCTION A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE 10-13 FLIGHT TO MELBOURNE 16-19 VIA DELHI, KOLKATA DAVIS CUP THE ‘WORLD CUP OF TENNIS’ 22-25 28-35 INDIA’S PARTICIPATION IN DAVIS CUP TRENDSETTERS 38-45 48-55 TRAILBLAZERS DREAM DOUBLES 58-65 68-71 VANGUARDS TENNIS AT DELHI GYMKHANA CLUB 74-83 86-87 100 YEARS OF ALL INDIA TENNIS ASSOCIATION DAVIS CUP WORLD GROUP TIE INDIA VS DENMARK

The 1925 Davis Cup team (sitting from left), Dr. A.A. Fyzee, Sydney Jacob and Jagat Mohan Lal; (standing) Dr.A.H. Fyzee. Photo credit: Advantage India: The Story of Indian Tennis, Westland Sport

INTRODUCTION India have never won the Davis Cup but are three times runners-up. e Indian teams of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, led by the legendary Ramanathan Krishnan, the iconic Vijay Amritraj and the unassuming ‘touch artist’ Ramesh Krishnan respectively, are fondly remembered by tennis purists in the country. When we talk about the most successful pairing at the Davis Cup, the “Lee-Hesh” team are the �rst who come to mind. ey won 25 of their 27 doubles ties, and had a 24-match consecutive streak out of their 25 wins. e only doubles pair that is closest to the record is that of John McEnroe and Peter Fleming, who have an unbeaten streak of 14 – a staggering 10 fewer than Paes-Bhupathi record. Undoubtedly, Indian tennis has a wealth of history behind it and India is rightly considered one of the best tennis-playing nations in the world, and our performance proves that. “e most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. e essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well,” Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of modern Olympics, had said. In her journey, India’s Davis Cup teams across generations ful�lled this ideal – they have inspired, engaged, motivated and transcended. As rightly pointed out by a tennis great, a lot of clubs all over the world have changed the playing surface to synthetic courts. But Delhi Gymkhana Club has chosen to stick to grass and preserve a slice of the way things were. e Davis Cup returns to Delhi Gymkhana Club after almost �ve decades. On the occasion of India’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark on March 4-5, 2022 and for posterity, we feature a series of photographs, some classics, some rare, that were made in the last one hundred years of India’s Davis Cup story, along with articles by legends of the game and experts. We hope you enjoy browsing the tennis souvenir!

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, Life President,Asian Tennis Federation, Mr.Anil Khanna and other tennis players

‘‘ PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA Sports for me is: ‘‘ S for Skill, P for Perseverance, O for Optimism, R for Resilience, T for Tenacity, S for Stamina. -Narendra Modi

Blast from the Past: Ramanathan Krishnan and Rod Laver at a ceremonial draw. The two legends clashed in the semi-match of the 1961 Wimbledon Championships where the Indian lost to the eventual winner

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE As an eight-year-old, I struck an affinity with the club over a plate of delicious garam pakora. I had, of course, no inkling about returning here to win Davis Cup matches for the country

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE Delhi Gymkhana Club is arguably the best tennis club in India. Calcutta South Club grass courts are better, but given the club facilities, catering, good service, availability of rooms and the large area it occupies in the heart of the capital city, Delhi Gymkhana scores RAMANATHAN KRISHNAN e year was 1945. My father T.K. Ramanathan was the best tennis player in Delhi. One afternoon, he took me on his bicycle to watch tennis at the Tennis Legend Gymkhana Club. It was wartime, the British hadn't yet left India, and the club had more foreign members – British and Americans, who were serving their armies. Apart from my father, there were a few other Indian players. I was a school boy, just eight years old – very active and disturbed the players on court, which embarrassed my father. Quickly, he got me a plate of garam pakodas, with tomato ketchup. I sat in a corner enjoying the delicious snack. Delhi Gymkhana had good eats even 75 years ago! Little did anyone realise at that time that here was an eight-year-old boy who would become the focus of attention within 10 years. I won the National Championship at the age of 16 and became the best player in the country. My progress was rapid. I played and won a number of national titles and Davis Cup matches on these very courts for nearly 20 years. On the Gymkhana courts, we played Japan in the 1961 Davis Cup match, and more memorably, we beat Germany in the 1966 semi-�nal Davis Cup encounter. at was the year we reached the Davis Cup �nals for the �rst time against Australia. Jaidip Mukerjea and I defeated Wilhelm Bungert in the singles matches. Delhi Gymkhana paved the way for glory.

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE Another time, during the 1960s, I played against Alan Mills, the British player, in the National nal. As I was walking to the court for the nal match, a ball boy came to me. He said, “Saab, saara hafta maine ball feka. Aaj mujhko nikaal diya!” Another time, during the 1960s, I played against Alan Mills, the British heart of the capital city, Delhi Gymkhana scores. Heads of government, player, in the National �nal. It is the same Mills who became ministers and top bureaucrats all visit on occasions, making it the place Wimbledon referee during the 1970s. As I was walking to the court for to be seen! the �nal match, a ball boy came to me. He said, “Saab, saara hafta maine ball feka. Aaj mujhko nikaal diya!” (Sir, I spent the entire week throwing It is amazing that while moving with the times, a lot of clubs all over the the ball. Today, they threw me out). world have changed the playing surface to synthetic courts, with Calcutta's South Club also left with only a few grass courts. But Delhi I walked across to the tent, where Mr O.P. Gupta was in charge. I Gymkhana has chosen to stick to grass and preserve a slice of the way requested him to include the ball boy for our �nal match. After warm- things were. up, I turned to fetch balls, and the same ball boy greeted me with a broad smile. He said, “Saab, mai vaapas aa gaya. Aaj aap zaroor jeetenge!” (Sir, I Indian tennis has a wealth of history behind it. We are considered one of am back on the court, you will de�nitely win today). the best tennis-playing nations in the world, and our performance proves that. Apart from world ranking, we reached the Davis Cup �nals Years later, my son, Ramesh, too, won National titles at the Delhi three times. Gymkhana courts. As far as the Krishnan family is concerned, three generations have played on these famous courts. I am sure we are the I am happy India is playing against Denmark on these courts in the only family who enjoy this privilege. Davis Cup early round. I wish our players all success. In the midst of the COVID pandemic, I wish good health to all the participants and public Delhi Gymkhana Club is arguably the best tennis club in India. Calcutta alike. And my very best to Delhi Gymkhana, an iconic institution. South Club grass courts are better, but given the club facilities, catering, good service, availability of rooms and the large area it occupies in the

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with Indian tennis stars

PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA ‘‘ ‘‘ Sports is a necessity of life. Sports teach you not to lose heart after defeats. Let everyone play and shine. -Narendra Modi

Packed house at Island Ground, Chennai (then Madras) watching the men's singles rubber between India's Jaidip Mukerjea and Mexico's Antonio Palafox in the Davis Cup Inter-Zone Championship, December 3, 1962. Mexico swept the tie 5-0 to win the Davis Cup challenge round for the first time

FLIGHT TO MELBOURNE VIA DELHI, KOLKATA The famous lawns of Delhi Gymkhana Club played a historic role in India's maiden entry to the Davis Cup finals in 1966

FLIGHT TO MELBOURNE e nal day being a Sunday generated a gathering at the VIA DELHI, KOLKATA temporarily constructed stands which were both high in number and spirit. Many distinguished guests were also JAIDIP MUKERJEA present, including the legendary actor Dilip Kumar, along with his newly-wed bride, the gorgeous Saira Tennis Legend Banu. It so seemed that, to disappoint such a crowd would account close to indulging in a sinful act ough I became a regular member of Indian Davis Cup squad from 1960 onwards, the most memorable year in Davis Cup for me shall always be 1966. e year in which the squad reached the �nals or the Challenge Round as it was known till 1971. e year started on a great note. e team comprising of Ramanathan Krishnan (captain), Premjit Lall, S.P.Misra and myself trounced Iran in Ahmedabad and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in Trivandrum (now iruvananthapuram) convincingly, to set up the East Zone title clash with Japan. e Japan-India tie was held in Tokyo, starting September 30, where we managed to pull off a convincing 4-1 victory, against the host nation. us, from Tokyo our road led to the famous green lawns of Delhi Gymkhana Club for the Inter–Zonal semi- �nal tie between India (Asian Zone champions) and West Germany (European Zone champions). Since I had won the National Tennis Championship on the same lawns earlier that year, beating Premjit, the choice of the venue gave me an added con�dence for the upcoming tie. e squad reached Delhi in the �rst week of November. Organizers of the tie had thankfully arranged our stay at Claridges. e hotel was situated close to the venue and provided us the much-needed comfort, required after grueling practice sessions. e weather in Delhi and the ambience at Delhi Gymkhana Club was just perfect for us to take on the challenge of West Germany. e

FLIGHT TO MELBOURNE VIA DELHI, KOLKATA I can still remember the ecstasy of the crowd as India emerged victorious in the tie and took another step forward in its quest to challenge the mighty Australians at Melbourne for the challenge round. We were now pitted to play against Brazil in our next tie, at Kolkata, in order to book our tickets for Melbourne, which we did German team for the tie comprised of the much-fancied Wilhelm and kept themselves in contention for the tie. e �nal day being a Bungert and Ingo Buding. e team was coached by none other than Sunday generated a gathering at the temporarily constructed stands Kurt Nielsen, who held the distinction of being the �rst Danish to reach which were both high in number and spirit. Many distinguished guests the Wimbledon �nals. were also present, including the legendary actor Dilip Kumar, along with his newly-wed bride, the gorgeous Saira Banu. It so seemed that, to e tie started on November 12. To our surprise, the stands were disappoint such a crowd would account close to indulging in a sinful act. completely �lled. People of varied age and from various walks of life had On the other hand, Bungert, after his loss against Krishnan, was raring to thronged the stands with the expectation to witness some great tennis. go at me in the �rst reverse singles match. Little was he aware that I was Krishnan and I did not disappoint the crowd on the �rst day. An inspired also determined to prove my mettle. Maybe the pressure of the situation Krishnan defeated Bungert in straight sets. Many thought this is to be an got a little better of me in the beginning as I lost the �rst set rather tamely upset, considering the form and record of Bungert in that year. In the 4-6. In the following three sets, I decided not to give away anything, next match, I managed a win against Buding in four sets, thus giving without a bitter �ght till the end. us, after the end of the fourth set, the India a 2-0 lead over our rivals. e two wins lit the �re of an Indian win �nal scoreline read 4-6, 8-6, 8-6, 6-3, in favour of Jaidip Mukerjea. on the very �rst day. I can still remember the ecstasy of the crowd as India emerged victorious Next day, disappointment struck us from the very early morning. in the tie and took another step forward in its quest to challenge the Krishnan woke up with a stiff back and we had to change the previously mighty Australians at Melbourne for the challenge round. We were now decided doubles combination of Premjit Lall and Krishnan. I was asked pitted to play against Brazil in our next tie at Kolkata, in order to book to step in and partner Premjit to play the German duo of Bungert and our tickets for Melbourne, which we did. Buding. Even though we put up a decent show, stretching the second set into a score line of 8-10, the German pair eventually got the better of us

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launching the Khelo India programme

PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA ‘‘ ‘‘ Tennis is an extremely challenging sport that calls for stamina and hard work. -Narendra Modi

Members of the Indian Davis Cup team with their South Korean counterparts Photo courtesy: Rohit Rajpal

DAVIS CUP THE ‘WORLD CUP OF TENNIS’ The tradition and exciting format makes the Davis Cup one of the most thrilling spectacles in modern sports for fans

DAVIS CUP From the 2019 edition, the format of the cup is changed. ‘THE WORLD CUP OF TENNIS’ e main modi cation is the World Group taking place at one location and in one week, with eighteen teams ROHIT RAJPAL divided in six round-robin groups of three teams each, with 18 teams divided in six round-robin groups Former Davis Cupper & captain e Davis Cup is the World Cup of tennis. It is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the organisers as the ‘World Cup of Tennis’, and the winners are referred to as the World Champion team. Format e 18 best national teams are assigned to the World Group and compete annually for the Davis Cup. Nations which are not in the World Group compete in one of three regional zones (Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe/Africa). Each of the three regional zones is divided into four groups. Groups I and II play elimination rounds, with the losing teams facing relegation to the next-lower group. e teams in Groups III and those in Group IV play a round-robin tournament with promotion and relegation. 2019 modi cations in Format From the 2019 edition, the format of the cup is changed. e main modi�cation is the World Group taking place at one location and in one week, with eighteen teams divided in six round-robin groups of three teams each, with

DAVIS CUP ‘THE WORLD CUP OF TENNIS’ Davis Cup began in the year 1900 as a competition between USA and Great Britain. It is now the world's largest annual international team competition, with as many as 142 nations entering the tennis competition in the year 2020 the winners of the groups and the two best second places advancing to a tournament format and ordered a trophy, buying it with his own quarter�nals. e series between the teams in this stage will feature two money. singles matches and one doubles match, instead of the best-of-5 series, with the matches changing from best of 5 sets to best of 3. As the World e tournament was originally known as the International Lawn Tennis Group will now take place as one single tournament, this event has been Challenge, but soon became known as Davis Cup after Dwight Davis’s named as the Davis Cup �nals. e lower zone groups I and II will be trophy, which was designed by William Durgin and crafted by Rowland composed of single ties deciding promotion or relegation. Rhodes. History India at Davis Cup Davis Cup began in 1900 as a competition between USA and Great India has �nished runner-up on three occasions, in 1966, 1974 and Britain. It is now the world’s largest annual international team 1987, but is yet to lift the trophy. Only India, and Romania have competition in world, with 142 nations entering in 2020. contested more than one �nal without being crowned champion. In the 1974 Eastern Zone Final, India and Australia established a record for the Concept most numbers of games in a tie, 327. e �rst Davis Cup took place in 1900 and saw USA take on Great Britain. It was held at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston. e idea of Davis Cup was conceived a year earlier by four members of the Harvard University Tennis team, who wished to set up a match between USA and Great Britain. Once the two respective National Associations had agreed, one of the four players, Dwight Davis, designed



PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA ‘‘ ‘‘ Today, �tness and sports are being given unprecedented priority in India. e Fit India and Khelo India campaigns are encouraging �tter and better talent in villages of the country. -Narendra Modi

Prakash Amritraj with the Indian flag, non-playing captain Leander Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi celebrate their win over Uzbekistan in the Davis Cup tie at R.K. Khanna Stadium, New Delhi, February 10, 2008. India wrapped up the tie 3-2

INDIA’S PARTICIPATION IN DAVIS CUP India's 100 years of Davis Cup has a rich legacy – it is spicy and bristling, with wins as well as losses

INDIA’S PARTICIPATION Even the seeds of the world-conquering feat of multiple IN DAVIS CUP Grand Slam doubles champions Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were sown in Davis Cup, in which they KAMESH SRINIVASAN have remained the best pair for India with a 25-2 win- e Hindu loss record Indian tennis has been deeply intertwined with the Davis Cup for over 100 years. ere have been fascinating rubbers, ties and years that are etched in the memory of the connoisseurs. If we keep away the best performances in history of Ramanathan Krishnan reaching the semi-�nals of Wimbledon twice, and Leander Paes winning the Atlanta Olympics medal in 1996, it is the Davis Cup that is retained in public memory. Even the seeds of the world-conquering feat of multiple Grand Slam doubles champions Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were sown in Davis Cup, in which they have remained the best pair for India with a 25-2 win-loss record. e commitment of the stars of different era to compete for the country in Davis Cup, dubbed the world championship of tennis, has been phenomenal. ey sacri�ce two to three weeks of their professional career around each tie to prepare, execute and recover from the high-adrenaline efforts to keep the Indian �ag �ying high. India may have struggled to beat only New Zealand, Uzbekistan, China and Pakistan in the last �ve years in Davis Cup as tennis has grown intensely competitive around the world. e last best achievement was reaching the semi- �nals against the odds and being outplayed by Wally Masur, Jason Stoltenberg, Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge of Australia, led by Neale Fraser, in 1993 on grass in Chandigarh.

INDIA’S PARTICIPATION IN DAVIS CUP Beating France in Frejus on clay in the quarter�nals was one of the all- In 2003, India lost 0-5 against the Netherlands on indoor hard courts in time upsets in the history of the game. Leander Paes and Ramesh Zwolle, but Rohan Bopanna showed his power game in singles before he Krishnan were the architects of that triumph as the tie over-�owed into eventually got beaten 12-10 in the �fth set by Martin Verkerk, the then the fourth day. Leander, who has the record of maximum total wins with French Open �nalist in the opening rubber, after leading 2-1 in sets. 93-35 over 30 years of Davis Cup play, beat Henri Leconte with More recently in 2010, Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman turned the tie surprising ease in four sets. He also beat Arnaud Boetsch in straight sets. in India’s favour in Chennai, after the team had trailed 0-2 on the Ramesh won the decisive �fth rubber in �ve sets against Rodolphe opening day. It was Leander and Mahesh who provided conviction to the Gilbert. e start for the �ne run was against Switzerland which had the team by winning the pivotal doubles. Somdev beat omaz Bellucci in Olympic champion Marc Rosset, on grass in Kolkata. Leander and the fourth rubber and Bopanna won in straight sets against Ricardo Ramesh beat Jakob Hlasek in singles, and combined strong in doubles to Mello in the �fth rubber. Both Bopanna and Somdev had lost in �ve sets win a crucial rubber in �ve sets against Hlasek and Rosset. After the on the opening day and thus were battle-hardened to go for the jugular semi-�nals, the genial captain Naresh Kumar who had groomed Leander on the �fth day. with distinction, and Ramesh retired. As we dig deep into history there are many gems ever since India entered Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Mahesh Bhupathi got into the team the Davis Cup arena in 1921. e best, of course, has been reaching the soon thereafter, and won decisive matches when India beat Chile and the �nals in 1966, 1974 and 1987. Netherlands in 1995 and 1996, both on grass in Delhi and Jaipur respectively. Mahesh won both his singles matches against Jan Siemerink Australia won the �nal in 1966, when Ramanathan Krishnan and Jaidip and Jacco Eltingh to get India past the Netherlands. Mukerjea had to be content winning the doubles against John Newcombe and Tony Roche on grass at Kooyong in Melbourne. Fred Against Chile, which had the world No.1 Marcelo Rios, Leander and Stolle and Roy Emerson won their singles matches against Krishnan and Mahesh beat Gabriel Silberstein in singles in the �rst and �fth rubbers Mukerjea. respectively and combined to beat Rios and a young Nicolas Massu, who went on to win two gold medals in Athens Olympics in �ve thrilling sets In 1974, it was a political decision when India gave a walkover in the in the doubles. at doubles clash in 1997 at the newly-built R.K. �nal against South Africa. India had beaten Japan, Australia and the Khanna Stadium which used to have both grass and hard courts, was one erstwhile USSR that year thanks to the deeds of Vijay Amritraj, Anand of the �nest matches played by Leander and Mahesh. It was the year they Amritraj, Jasjit Singh and Sashi Menon. In 1987, it was Ramesh had started winning the ATP tour events. Krishnan winning the �fth rubber against Wally Masur on grass in Sydney that put India in the �nal. Ramesh had earlier beaten John Of course, Leander taking India past Goran Ivanisevic and Croatia in the Fitzgerald and Vijay Amritraj beat Masur in four sets on the opening day tie in 1995 at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Delhi, was in the semi-�nals. Mats Wilander, Anders Jarryd and Joakim Nystrom one of the highlights of his glittering career. e serve-machine Goran, dropped only one set in �ve matches as Sweden overwhelmed India on the �uid stroking but temperamental left-hander, whose �rst and second indoor clay courts in the �nal in Gothenburg. serves were equally lethal, lost his cool in an energy-sapping �ve-setter to Leander after having won the �rst two sets. Leander beat Sasa Hirszon in As we return from the walk down memory lane of enchanting rich the �rst rubber and won the doubles with Mahesh in four sets against history, India gets ready to play Denmark on grass at the Gymkhana Hirszon and Ivanisevic. Club, looking for new heroes to take it to new heights in Davis Cup.



PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA ‘‘ ‘‘ Players need resources, modern training facilities, international exposure and transparency in selection. Our government has given these four tools to the players of India in the past few years on a priority basis. -Narendra Modi

The 'Three Musketeers' of Indian tennis, Ramanathan Krishnan(centre), Jaidip Mukerjea, Premjit Lall and veteran tennis administrator, the late R.K. Khanna (extreme left) pose with the Davis Cup trophy before their Challenge round against Australia in Kooyong Stadium, Melbourne, 1966