Six boys will assemble for the Junior Davis Cup selection camp at the DLTA Complex on Monday.
Aradhya Kshitij, Samarth Sahita, V Thirumurugan, Prateek Sheoran, Kanishk Kathuria and Ranvir Singh were the six best in the under-16 national ranking when chosen, but their position has changed already.
The first four stay as the top four, with a minor shuffle seeing Samarth rise to the top, but the other two have slipped to the ninth and tenth spots in the latest ranking list.
Moreover, the third best under-16 player as per the ITF junior rank, Arnav Paparkar who showed his strong game during the Challenger qualifier in Pune, does not find a place in the list of aspirants.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has done very well to prescribe a reasonably sound selection process, but it can further be tuned.
The onus will be on the experienced coach Sajid Lodi to assess the available players over the next few days and arrive at the best combination, keeping the crucial doubles pairing in mind.
The junior selection committee of the AITA will study the recommendation and finalise the team in due course of time.
The Junior Billie Jean King Cup is scheduled to be held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, from May 13 to 18. Coach Namita Bal had assessed the six girls last week and given her observations to the national federation.
The Junior Davis Cup is also scheduled to be staged at the same venue in Kazakhstan from May 20 to 25.
There is ample time for going through the selection process and be prepared for competition.
Published - April 07, 2024 08:13 pm IST
