<p>Rohan Bopanna has every reason to feel “well prepared” going into the Australian Open. The doubles star enjoyed a superb week at the Sydney International where he reached the final before winning back his place in the Indian Davis Cup squad after an absence of almost two years. <br /><br /></p>.<p>When he was slugging it out with Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi against eventual champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, AITA’s national selection panel in Mumbai was discussing the squad to take on Chinese Taipei in Indore from January 31.<br /><br />Bopanna lost the final but hours later he was back in the Indian side and will now be the senior-most member of the team.<br /><br />His 17th final appearance in the very demanding ATP tour made him confident enough to think about winning his first Grand Slam title.<br /><br />“It’s great to go into a Grand Slam feeling confident. It’s definitely been the first time I have been so well prepared, so hoping this Grand Slam will do good for us and we are confident as a team,” Bopanna told PTI from Sydney.<br /><br />The AITA had shut the door by banning him and Mahesh Bhupathi on disciplinary grounds in 2012 but Bopanna continued his ascendancy and went on to touch a career-high ranking of number three in the world, only behind the great Bryan brothers, last year.<br /><br />While serving the ban, Bopanna missed three Davis Cup ties – against New Zealand, Korea and Indonesia.<br /><br />So what this comeback means to Bopanna, having missed a rare home Davis Cup tie in between? <br /><br />“I did miss playing in my home city (Bangalore), but I am sure that the opportunity will arise again one day, and I look forward to it.” </p>
<p>Rohan Bopanna has every reason to feel “well prepared” going into the Australian Open. The doubles star enjoyed a superb week at the Sydney International where he reached the final before winning back his place in the Indian Davis Cup squad after an absence of almost two years. <br /><br /></p>.<p>When he was slugging it out with Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi against eventual champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, AITA’s national selection panel in Mumbai was discussing the squad to take on Chinese Taipei in Indore from January 31.<br /><br />Bopanna lost the final but hours later he was back in the Indian side and will now be the senior-most member of the team.<br /><br />His 17th final appearance in the very demanding ATP tour made him confident enough to think about winning his first Grand Slam title.<br /><br />“It’s great to go into a Grand Slam feeling confident. It’s definitely been the first time I have been so well prepared, so hoping this Grand Slam will do good for us and we are confident as a team,” Bopanna told PTI from Sydney.<br /><br />The AITA had shut the door by banning him and Mahesh Bhupathi on disciplinary grounds in 2012 but Bopanna continued his ascendancy and went on to touch a career-high ranking of number three in the world, only behind the great Bryan brothers, last year.<br /><br />While serving the ban, Bopanna missed three Davis Cup ties – against New Zealand, Korea and Indonesia.<br /><br />So what this comeback means to Bopanna, having missed a rare home Davis Cup tie in between? <br /><br />“I did miss playing in my home city (Bangalore), but I am sure that the opportunity will arise again one day, and I look forward to it.” </p>