India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran admits that being his country’s top tennis star places him under an obligation to play the Davis Cup tie against Pakistan.
India has been drawn to face its neighbour at Islamabad in September with a prize of being able to contest the World Group qualifiers at stake.
It will be the first time India will be playing a Davis Cup tie in Pakistan in 55 years. “I think I will play although it is still to be discussed as we have the option to go now,” said the 29-year-old at Wimbledon on Monday.
“If I want to stay in the top-100 then those two weeks make an impact but playing for my country is very special and I want to do everything to do that.
“If I had been No. 4 or 5 in India, I would be jumping at the chance. Nothing should change being No. 1.”
When India last played in Pakistan in Lahore in 1964 it won 4-0. India won in Mumbai in 2006 while the third meeting in the tournament in 1973 was played on neutral territory.
On Monday, Prajnesh made his Wimbledon debut but lost 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-2 to 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic of Canada.
His progress to the All England Club has come late in his career following a battle with stress fractures in both knees which left him without a ranking in 2015.
Those physical problems are a thing of the past as is his bizarre decision to once incorporate the name of two-time Major winner Pat Rafter into his personal email address.
Rafter fan
“I was a big fan of his when I was younger so I created an email ID with his name,” said the world No. 94. “I never used it for official purposes but some people in my school still have it.”
‘A few lapses’
On Monday, Prajnesh insisted that his clash with the big-serving Raonic, the 15th seed, had been decided by small margins.
“There were a few lapses in concentration and they determined the match. I had chances but didn’t convert. I gave him early leads in the second and third sets and they were the killers.”
Published - July 02, 2019 09:19 pm IST
