The All India Tennis Association may be backing Leander Paes to the hilt in him making the squad for the Rio Olympics, but the veteran star will not be picked in the Davis Cup team despite showing late interest in competing in the Asia/Oceania Group I tie against Korea Republic next month.
The AITA selection committee is expected to pack the side with youngsters and hand Ramkumar Ramanathan his Davis Cup debut on the grass courts of Chandigarh Club when it announces the team on Saturday.
Yuki Bhambri, the country’s highest-ranked singles player at number 147, will spearhead the side, which will have Saketh Myneni (ranked 150 in singles and 125 in doubles) and Rohan Bopanna (number 10 in doubles) as the other playing members.
Young Sumit Nagal, who won the boys’ doubles Wimbledon last year, will also make it to the squad as one of the two reserve members.
The 42-year-old Paes had earlier said he will not play in the Asia/Oceania zone ties to allow youngsters to gain experience but recently showed interest in playing the Korea tie.
However, the AITA had already initiated the process and asked for the availability of the players who were certain to be picked for the tie.
"If Leander was to be included, it meant that one of those players had to be dropped from the scheme of things and that would be unfair," an AITA source said.
"Paes got late in showing interest; otherwise, as a senior player, he would have been considered," the official added.
Going by the current rankings, Myneni, being the second highest-ranked player in singles, may have to play on all three days.
If India seals the tie on the second day itself, then Ramkumar may play one of the two reverse singles.
India had lost to Czech Republic in the World Group Play-off tie in September 2015 and returned to Group I.
They got a first round bye and if they beat Korea, will again get a chance to compete in World Play-off tie against either China or Uzbekistan.
Somdev Devvarman, who has played many memorable matches for India in the Davis Cup, will miss the Korea tie because of a foot injury.
It will be the first time since February 2013 that he will not be in the Indian Davis Cup team. The last time also it was the match against Korea when Somdev did not play, as the top players opted out of the tie, demanding changes in playing conditions.
India fielded a very weak team in that tie in New Delhi and lost 1-4 with only Paes featuring among the top players.
Image: Yuki Bhambri will spearhead India's challenge
Photograph: PTI
