Draw holds key, says captain Zeeshan Ali

New Delhi: Memories of the 1988 Seoul Olympics are still fresh in Zeeshan Ali’s mind and after 28 years, the excitement of participating in the greatest sports spectacle in the world is still the same for the Indian tennis team captain. “In 1988 I went as a player and now I am going as captain. It was a long fruitful journey for me. The team are very excited to be in Rio, especially Leander Paes, who is attending his seventh Olympics. It is a record which is not going to be beaten in a very long time. It is an amazing achievement.

“I’m happy to be going as the captain of a team that has players like Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna and Paes. We have a lot of memories and understanding playing together. This makes my job a lot easier,” Zeeshan told this paper on Thursday. The Indians land in Rio de Janiero on August 1 and get three days to practice before the opening ceremony. The tennis event begins on August 6 and the captain said, “the draw will play a vital role”.

“When we know what the draws are like and which player will be playing, only then can we start working on strategy. It’s very difficult to plan anything now without knowing whom we are playing. Secondly, the players are not with us, so its difficult to co-ordinate. That’s why we are meeting on August 1, which gives us enough time to prepare before the matches start,” said the former Davis Cupper.  “On paper we definitely have a very good team, Sania is no.1 in the world, Rohan is playing mixed doubles with her is no.14 in the world, but I think a lot depends on the luck of the draw. Because there are so many other top rank players who are playing in all the events,” he said.

“Our players are not going to be seeded. If we are lucky with the draw, then they have the capability and the potential to bring home a medal. But if you are unlucky you could play the top or the second seeds early,” Zeeshan added. The fallout between Bopanna and Paes over the choice of doubles partner for the Olympics is a closed chapter for the captain and he does not see the incident as a blow to India’s “medal chances” at the event. “I’m not worried about this rivalry or feud... I worked with both of them. In the past also, when required they have come together and have done extremely well for India. Whatever bad blood they have, thats all personal. All those feelings, they both know this, and they both will leave them behind when they come together to play. “

Saketh Myneni, Bopanna’s first choice as a partner for the Rio Olympics, displayed impressive grit during the recent Davis Cup tie against South Korea when he won his singles tie despite visibly struggling with cramps.  Zeeshan though felt that Myneni could not have been a better choice than Paes for Rio. “Saketh is a very good player, but in terms of ranking and experience, there is a huge difference between Paes and Saketh. As far as Olympics, ranking and experience was concerned, Paes was our best bet,” he said.