Yuki Bhambri vs Dusan Lajovic in opener

Bengaluru: American tennis great Andre Agassi was spot on when he said his sport speaks the language of life.

Terms of love, service and advantage are match-changing descriptions, but the Davis Cup redefines their meaning.

In tennis, love means nothing, yet in the Davis Cup the primary driving force of a player is love, the one he feels for his country. Likewise, service to the nation and handing an advantage to their team are the prime focus of the sweat-drenched men on the court.

As the flag-bearers of Indian tennis take on the might of the men for Serbia in the World Group play-off tie starting here on Friday at the KSLTA courts, on paper, the advantage is on the opposite side of the court. Yet, the hosts will be driven by the love for their country and an expectedly vociferous crowd.

For both teams it’s a battle which will change the course of their fortunes in a tournament which has come to be known as the World Cup of tennis. A win here will send India back into the elite 16 of the World Group, their first since making an opening round exit against Serbia in 2011.

On the other hand, a let-up by the Serbs will see last year’s finalists pushed into the Euro/African Zone, a situation they haven’t been in, since 2007.

At the draw ceremony on Thursday, held against the backdrop of the imposing Vidhana Soudha, the power centre of Karnataka, Yuki Bhambri was drawn to begin proceedings against the visiting team’s top ranked single’s ace Dusan Lajovic in the opening clash. India’s top star Somdev Devvaraman will take on Filip Krajinovic in the second singles tie.