Bopanna gears up for another challenge

Bopanna, who arrived here last night from the US, had a light practice session here along with Somdev Devvarman.“My confidence is high. I got on to the court today itself after a long travel from New York and I was able to hit the ball really good. I have to believe in my game and try and win the first match on Friday,” he said.

“This four days of training before the important Davis Cup tie is important and crucial. I will be working on my movements,” he added.India’s number one singles player Somdev Devvarman said the hosts stand a good chance to get back to World Group although they are not ready to take the Brazilians lightly.

“Rohan and me have been really doing well. We have come out here five days ahead to get ready for the tie. It is a good chance for us to get back to World Group by winning against the Brazilians.

“We are focused to win the tie. They are world class players. Rohan is playing with a lot more confidence. I would like to say that we have a very good chance but these guys (Brazilians) also cannot be taken for granted,” Somdev said.

Bopanna adjusting to the conditions would be crucial for the tie. “It is one more week on the road for me. I am always ready to work hard. The confidence is there and I am going to take that forward. We are going to work-out together to make sure we can take it from here and save as much energy as possible because the humidity factor is very high here. I am sure, I should be fine physically,” he said.

The Coorgi said the tie would be a tough contest but they will have the home advantage.
“I have been seeing Brazilian players every week on the circuit. Thomas Bellucci and Ricardo Mello are really good players. It will be a tough tie for us but it is great to have a home tie after a gap of two years and first time on the hard court.

“I have great memories of Chennai since I started playing at the junior level and I have won many titles in this city. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and me have lost once in the circuit to the Brazilian doubles pair of Marcelo Belo and Bruno Soares. They are also really good team. It is going to be an interesting tie,” he said.

Talking about the surface, Bopanna said: “Coming from the US Open, I feel the court here is little bit on the slower side. Obviously, it will take a day or two for me to get used to this court.”