India Banks on Balaji for Davis Cup Opener Against Sweden

India's Davis Cup team, led by captain Rohit Rajpal, is counting on N Sriram Balaji to play both singles and doubles for their World Group I tie against Sweden. Balaji will face Swedish number one Elias Ymer, while India's top singles player Ramkumar Ramanathan will take on Leo Borg. Captain Rajpal emphasized an aggressive net strategy for the matches.

India's Davis Cup campaign sees a strategic move as captain Rohit Rajpal places his bets on doubles specialist N Sriram Balaji for singles action. Scheduled to face Swedish number one Elias Ymer, Balaji steps up to fill a crucial role in the World Group I tie starting Saturday.

Ramkumar Ramanathan, India's highest-ranked player at 332, will confront Leo Borg, the son of tennis legend Bjorn Borg. Both players have never faced each other in ATP Tour competition.

The doubles lineup, featuring Balaji and Ramkumar, may change based on the day-one score. With star player Sumit Nagal sidelined due to injury, Rajpal plans to rely on net-dominant plays to counter Sweden's strategy. The captain hinted at using Niki Poonacha in a different capacity, keeping some tactical maneuvers undisclosed.

(With inputs from agencies.)