Bengaluru, Feb 4 (.) When the sun peeped out over the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium on Wednesday, the Netherlands Davis Cup squad walked onto Bengaluru’s courts with more than rackets in hand — they carried a belief that this weekend’s tie against India could go any direction, because in Davis Cup tennis, “anything can happen.”
Doubles specialist Sander Arends captured that sentiment bluntly: “Rankings don’t always tell the story in Davis Cup. Anything can happen,” he said, eyes scanning the courts during an intense early evening practice session.
Arends and Guy den Ouden were among the first of the Dutch squad to arrive, soaking in the unfamiliar energy of a sunshine. “You can’t control everything — the court, the conditions, the opponent — but you can control your intensity and heart,” den Ouden said with a grin.
The visiting team, led by former World No. 1 doubles player Paul Haarhuis and featuring Jesper de Jong and Max Houkes alongside Arends and Pel, faces a spirited India side that has its own drama unfolding.
The top singles player Sumit Nagal, who is expected to spearhead the home challenge after a gutsy performance during India’s historic 3–1 away win over Switzerland last year, has been wrestling with fitness issues and will take the court only if cleared by the physios.
Nagal, who felt a hip strain while competing in Thailand last month and has been undergoing rehabilitation this week, began on‑court training yesterday as the team “keeps its fingers crossed” over his availability for the qualifiers starting Saturday.
For Indian fans, Nagal’s fitness status adds a layer of uncertainty to what was already shaping up as a classic Davis Cup duel. India and the Netherlands are locked 2–2 in their historical Davis Cup head‑to‑head, with their last meeting in 2003 ending in a 5–0 Dutch victory.
Yet the unpredictability of the Cup — where momentum can shift in a single match, and where home spectators’ energy can tip the balance — keeps both camps wary.
Fresh from a historic run to the 2024 Davis Cup Final, the Dutch are confident yet keenly aware that the tie in Bengaluru will be anything but straightforward. As practice wraps up and the stadium lights flicker on, the stage is set for a weekend where every serve, volley and smash could decide more than just a scoreline — it could rewrite expectations.
The Davis Cup will kickstart from February 7 and culminate the next day. . . JRC