India vs Denmark, Davis Cup: Will grass be greener on the Indian side?

Ramkumar Ramanathan, was seen serving big at the Delhi Gymkhana on Thursday. The organisers were checking the speed gun and Ramkumar was giving them the perfect trial for the machine before the India-Denmark World Group 1 Playoff tie to be played on Friday and Saturday. The fast, zipping grass at the Gymkhana – a venue specifically chosen to give the Indian team a home advantage against the Danes – is perfect for Ramkumar's preferred serve-and-volley game.

It is a style that the Indians are more comfortable with. "We know the conditions better, which gives us a slight edge. Ramkumar has been practising a lot here (at the Gymkhana club).

He knows the track very well," was India's non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal's assessment. On Thursday, the draw ceremony for the tie was held and Ramkumar (ranked 170 according to latest ATP rankings) was drawn to face Christian Sigsgaard (ranked 824) in the first singles. "Ramkumar gets on first, we were looking forward to that and hopefully he will give us a good start," said Rajpal.

"That takes the pressure off the second guy who's coming on." And the 'second guy' would be Yuki Bhambri (ranked 590), who has been drawn against Mikael Torpegaard (ranked 305) in the second singles match. Denmark's chances took a major blow last week when their top-ranked singles player, Holger Rune (ranked 88), pulled out of the tie. Bhambri's current ATP ranking doesn't tell the entire story.

Once regarded as the brightest hope for Indian tennis after he won the 2009 Australian Open junior title, Bhambri has been plagued by injuries. The Davis Cup tie is a comeback of sorts for Bhambri, who has endured a recurring knee problem since 2018. Last year, he made a comeback in February at the ATP 250 Singapore