The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has made a significant decision ahead of the upcoming Davis Cup World Group tie against Sweden, replacing India’s top-ranked player Sumit Nagal with 16-year-old sensation Manas Dhamne. The decision comes after Sumit, who had a remarkable year reaching a career-high ranking of 73 and participating in all four Grand Slams, was forced to withdraw due to a back strain. This injury also caused him to pull out of the doubles event in the ongoing US Open.
The selection of Manas Dhamne was made after careful consideration by the selection committee, led by chairman Nandan Bal, along with captain Rohit Rajpal and coach Ashutosh Singh. Manas, who trains at the Piatti Centre in Italy, achieved a career-best junior ranking of 43 last year and has been actively competing on the men’s circuit for several months.
The Indian team for the Davis Cup tie now consists of Ramkumar Ramanathan, Niki Poonacha, Sidharth Vishwakarma, Sriram Balaji, and the newly included Manas Dhamne. Aryan Shah will be the reserve player. The tie will take place in Stockholm, Sweden on September 14 and 15, played on an indoor hardcourt.
This decision showcases the AITA’s confidence in the young talent of Manas Dhamne, who is set to make his Davis Cup debut. It will be interesting to see how he performs against the Swedish team in this crucial tie.
