Dubai: Leander Paes is backing India for an outside chance against top-seed and defending world champions Serbia as they prepare for their crucial Davis Cup tie in the first week of next month.
"I think it'll be a really tough tie for India because we're playing the Davis Cup champions and, also we're playing in Serbia. So it will be very, very tough for us," Paes told media during the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open here.
India takes on the defending champions at the Spens Sports Centre in Novi Sad, Serbia, in Round One of their World Group encounter from March 4-6. A win will help them move into the quarter-finals against the winners of the tie between Sweden and seventh seeds Russia, while a loss will put India up in the Davis Cup World Group play-offs. The quarter-finalists are also guaranteed a World Group spot for 2012.
"It will be very good. It is the first time for us in Serbia and I have a lot of friends there. I played with [Nenad] Zimonjic for a long time; [Janko] Tipsarevic is a friend; Novak [Djokovic] is a great guy," Paes said.
Paes has been one of the longest servants of Indian tennis having played for an amazing 21 years in Davis Cup squads. With partner Mahesh Bhupathi, he is arguably the best doubles team with a 23-2 win/loss record so far.
"For us in particular, we're going out there to play really hard in the doubles to try and keep that streak going. I know that in Serbia you'll have many options for the doubles. Along with Zimonjic, you have Troicki, you have Tipsarevic, you have Ilija Bozoljac. So you have so many options. For us, it's just about making sure we're healthy, fit, and we go out there in the right frame of mind and healthy to play," Paes said.
The Indian squad of Somdev Devvarman, Bhupathi, Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri will depart for Serbia early next week as they line up against the world champions. The Serbian squad consisting of Djokovic, Tipsarevic, Viktor Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic triumphed 3-2 against France in the first week of December 2010.
India competed in its first Davis Cup in 1921 and since then India has been a losing finalist on three occasions — 1966, 1974 and 1987.
