Junior Davis Cup team selection process starts

Junior Davis Cup selection trials in New Delhi with six boys competing for a chance to represent India.

The selection trials started for the Junior Davis Cup team at the DLTA Complex on Monday.

All six boys — Aradhya Kshitij, Samarth Sahita, V. Thirumurugan, Ranvir Singh, Kanishk Kathuria and Prateek Sheoran — played matches as part of the selection process.

“We will have two sets of matches tomorrow. And then, one match each over the next two days,” explained coach Sajid Lodi, who will be taking the chosen team for the Asia-Oceania under-16 boys’ event scheduled to be staged in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, from May 20 to 25.

The Indian Davis Cup captain cum coach for the last tie against Pakistan, Zeeshan Ali, was also on hand to give a pep talk to the players, encouraging them to capitalise on the chance to represent the country.

Having led stronger teams, with better ranked players in the past, Sajid Lodi was able to provide an overall perspective on what to expect at the Asia Oceania level. “What we need is players with grit and the ability to fight. We will always get a chance against any team, and we should be able to capitalise on it. That depends on the fighting character of the players,” said Sajid.

The non-selection of the national under-16 champion Arnav Paparkar who has been competing in the ITF under-18 and men’s events, continued to be a point of debate. The secretary of the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), Sunder Iyer, said that he was taking up the matter with the AITA, as the idea was to help the country field the best team, despite constraints of the selection procedure.

AITA announced Maaya Rajeshwaran, Diya Ramesh and Yashika Shokeen as the three players selected for the Junior Billie Jean King Cup in Kazakhstan from May 13 to 18, with coach Namita Bal as the captain. The girls had their selection camp last week.