Davis Cup 2022: Advantage India as Denmark’s top player Holger Rune pulls out
India host Denmark in a World Group I playoffs tie in Delhi. Holger Rune, world No. 88, was the only singles player from the visiting team in the Top-200 of the ATP rankings.
India were handed a huge boost for their Davis Cup 2022 World Group I playoffs tie against Denmark on March 4 and 5 after Holger Rune, the top-ranked singles player in the Danish national tennis team, decided to pull out.
Currently ranked world No. 88, Holger Rune was expected to lead Denmark’s challenge on the grass courts of the Delhi Gymkhana Club (DGC). The 18-year-old, who won the junior French Open title in 2019, is the only Danish player ranked inside the Top-200 of the ATP rankings in singles.
In Rune’s absence, India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan, world No. 177, will be the top-ranked singles player in the India vs Denmark Davis Cup 2022 tie.
The visiting team will now be led by doubles veteran Frederik Nielsen, who has achieved a career-high ranking of 17 in doubles.
Mikael Torpegaard, world No. 210, will be the top-ranked singles player for Denmark while Johannes Ingildsen (805), Christian Sigsgaard (833), Elmer Moller (1708) complete Denmark’s five-member squad for the World Group I playoff.
The Indian team, currently placed 22nd in Davis Cup rankings, however, will not underestimate the Danes, who are ranked 28 places below them in the standings.
“Denmark team is still more than capable of doing well, despite its top player missing out on the action. We need to focus on our strengths and that will be our strategy going forward,” India’s non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal said.
Apart from Ramkumar Ramanathan, Prajnesh Gunneswaran (232), Yuki Bhambri (662), Divij Sharan (133-doubles) and doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna (36-doubles) are the other members of the Indian team for the Denmark tie.
The World Group I playoffs tie will feature one doubles and four singles matches. This will also be the first meeting between the two teams since 1984, when India won 3-2 in Aarhus, Denmark on the clay.
Three reserve players - Niki Poonacha, Saketh Myneni and Digvijay Pratap Singh - have been included by the Indian team as a precautionary measure due to COVID-19. Zeeshan Ali will be India’s coach.
The winner of the India vs Denmark tie will progress to World Group I ties in September while the losers will relegate into Group-II of the men’s team tennis tournament.
India had dropped down to the Group I playoffs after losing to Finland in the Group I tie in the Davis Cup 2021 season.
Davis Cup 2022: India vs Denmark teams
India
Team: Ramkumar Ramanathan, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Yuki Bhambri, Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan
Reserves: Niki Poonacha, Saketh Myneni, Digvijay Pratap Singh
Coach: Zeeshan Ali
Non-playing captain: Rohit Rajpal
Denmark
Team: Mikael Torpegaard, Johannes Ingildsen, Christian Sigsgaard, Elmer Moller, Frederik Nielsen (captain)
Coaches: Martin Killemose Linnet and Jacob Holst