Doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna has been included in the Indian Davis Cup team for the upcoming World Group I away tie against Finland, despite recent disagreements with the national federation. The five-member squad, announced by the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA), includes top singles players Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Sumit Nagal, and Ramkumar Ramanathan. The tie is scheduled for September 17-18 on indoor courts in Espoo Metro Areena, Espoo city.
The AITA selection committee, in a virtual meeting, confirmed Rohit Rajpal as the non-playing captain and Zeeshan Ali as the coach. Bopanna, ranked 40, will partner with Divij Sharan (ranked 82) in doubles. The duo narrowly missed qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics due to a low combined rank. Notably, the rest of the squad remains unchanged from the previous tie against Croatia, which India lost 1-3, where Bopanna had partnered with Leander Paes.
Bopanna had previously accused AITA Secretary General Anil Dhupar of providing misleading information regarding his and Sumit Nagal’s entry for the Tokyo Olympics doubles competition, a controversy not discussed by the selection committee. Balram Singh, a committee member, emphasized the importance of a doubles rubber point in Davis Cup and clarified that Bopanna’s recent issues were a matter of misunderstanding.
The Finnish team boasts higher-ranked singles player Emil Ruusuvuori (69th ATP), but lacks a player within the top 100. Additionally, Finland has formidable doubles players in Henri Kontinen (ranked 39) and Harri Heliovaara (ranked 38). The winning team will qualify for the 2022 Qualifiers, while the losing team will compete in play-offs to retain a spot in World Group I next year.
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