Czech Republic tennis team in India for Davis Cup tie

Czech ace Radek Stepanek practices at the DLTA for the team's Davis Cup tie against India

One of the most successful Davis Cup squads in the recent past, the team from the Czech Republic now occupy the top spot in the Davis Cup rankings.

They reached New Delhi in the wee hours of Monday for their World Group Play-Off against India. Having taken the courts soon after, the players and the staff alike seem to be already feeling the heat, and quite literally so.

Radek Stepanek, who is one of their most successful players and spearheaded the championship winning teams in 2012 and 2013, asserted: “It’s extremely hot here, so it will take us a little time to acclimatize. Hopefully though, we will be already by Friday.”

Here without their top player, world number 6 Tomas Berdych, Captain Jaroslav Navratil seemed unperturbed. “I would have to confess it’s a good draw for us. I am certain our players will do well and we will manage to get back in to the world group easily,” he said.

While he refused to disclose if he will fiddle with his players through the tie, he did concede that anyone can step in if and when the need arises.

Assessing their opponents, he added, “India’s strong point is their doubles but then that’s just one match, so we aren’t thinking too much about it. Our aim is to reach 3 points soonest and that shall be it.”

Also present at the interaction was Lukas Rosol. Best remembered for upsetting Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012, he is likely to lead the visitors’ charge in singles here. He looked buoyant as he said, “We are confident we will do well. The Indians have a young singles line up and they are undoubtedly good but if we play to our strengths it shouldn’t be too difficult for us.”

While they were ousted in the first round this year in a home tie against Australia in Ostrava, Navratil asserted the team is in the best shape and that they would like to carry forward the legacy that the team has built over the past few years.

As unlikely as it seems though, Indian fans would hope Stepanek and his squad are given a run for their money this weekend, as it is highly unlikely that the home team will, any time soon, have as good an opportunity as this one to qualify for the World Group again.