The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has made a significant change to its Davis Cup team for the upcoming World Group tie against Sweden, scheduled for September 14-15 in Stockholm. The country’s top-ranked player, Sumit Nagal, has been replaced by 16-year-old Manas Dhamne.
Nagal, who has participated in all four Grand Slams this year and achieved a career-best ranking of 73, has withdrawn from the tie due to a back strain. The injury also forced him to withdraw from the doubles event at the ongoing US Open in New York.
The decision to replace Nagal with Dhamne was made after careful consideration by the selection committee, led by chairman Nandan Bal, captain Rohit Rajpal, and coach Ashutosh Singh. Dhamne, who trains at the Piatti Centre in Italy, has a career-best junior ranking of 43 and has been competing regularly on the men’s circuit for several months.
The Indian team for the Davis Cup tie now consists of Ramkumar Ramanathan, Niki Poonacha, Sidharth Vishwakarma, Sriram Balaji, and Manas Dhamne. Aryan Shah has been named as a reserve.
The tie against Sweden will be played on indoor hardcourt, a surface that favors the Indian team. India has a strong record in Davis Cup, having won the title in 1974 and 2018. The team will be looking to continue its success in Stockholm and secure a place in the World Group I playoffs.
