Lankan foursome are confident
View(s):Davis Cup tie against Pakistan
By David Stephens
Sri Lanka’s Davis Cup side feels extremely confident and excited about their upcoming Asia Oceania Zone Group Two tennis clash against Pakistan, despite failing to overcome their regional neighbours on five previous occasions, three of the team’s members stated.
Rajeev Rajapakse, Harshana Godamanne and Thangarajah Dineshkanthan all expressed optimism over the country’s chances of victory, saying that they had frequently seen most of the Pakistanis in action and were sure they could be beaten.
Rajapakse, Sri Lanka’s most senior member and most successful doubles player, having recorded 28 victories, said that the team had also grown with experience, especially Dineshkanthan, who is the reigning national champion.
“Our team has the same players but if you look at Dinesh he has more experience. Last time it was his first Davis Cup. Now he is coming in with a lot of confidence and has done well at a lot of tournaments,” Rajapakse said.
“I too feel very good and very confident. We have got a new coach so things are starting to click. The intensity level is much higher than we are used to and that’s the great thing about having him here. We are all giving it a 100 percent. Before we were practising alone and we didn’t follow a proper structure.”
The Lankan Davis Cup team comprising Rajeev Rajapakse, Harshana Godamanne, Thangarajah Dineshkanthan and Amresh Jayawickrema. - Pic by Amila Gamage
Coach Palanupap Puranawit from Thailand is also impressed with what he has seen from the Lankans, especially the team’s lynchpin, Godamanne. He said that all that remained to be done before the encounter was some slight fine-tuning and endurance work.
Godamanne though revealed that he still had not settled into his groove, having been out of the country and largely away from the sport for several months.
“I wasn’t able to play a lot of tennis. I’m still not playing at the same level as I was at before because I haven’t played on clay courts for a year. So I’m still adjusting,” he explained.
Nevertheless he stated that when match day arrived he would be ready and willing to once more give his best for his country.
“I like the pressure and am used to it now that I’ve been playing for so long. The reason I like Davis Cup tennis is because it’s so much fun. There are so many people behind you. Tennis is an individual sport so it feels good to sometimes have a team behind you.”
This unit will be strengthened greatly by an improved Dineshkanthan, who has been playing some sublime tennis over the recent past, and who will look to shoulder a greater share of responsibility than he has at previous Davis Cup outings.
“I definitely feel more responsibility this year and want to play well because Harshana has been carrying the team for a long time,” he says.
“All these years you are playing for yourself but as you move into the Davis Cup you are playing for the country so it’s a different experience. So there is more responsibility and you have to play a better match than you are used to playing.”
Sri Lanka’s Davis Cup clash against Pakistan will be held from February 1-3, at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association. The team comprises Harshana Godamanna, Rajeev Rajapakse, Thangarajah Dineshkanthan and Amresh Jayawickrema. The Non-Playing Captain is Rohan de Silva and the Team Manager is Gihan Perera.
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