Sri Lanka tennis is gearing for its Group II Tie against New Zealand from March 5 to 7 in Colombo. Being back in Group II after 10 years has rejuvenated the team who are currently in Thailand for training. Following two trials the team selected to compete this year is Harshana Godamanne, Rajeev Rajapakse, Dineshkanthan and Sanka Athukorale with Aasiri Iddamalgoda as the Non playing Captain and Angelo Patrick as Manager.

Harsha Godamanne

With more than 100 years of tradition behind it, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the premier team competition in tennis, as well as the largest annual international team competition in sport. The symbol of this prestigious event is the beautiful silver Davis Cup trophy, donated by Harvard student Dwight Filley Davis in 1900.

As it was confined to the British Isle and the USA, it has now with time become the most prestigious event in the inter-men’s tennis in the world, more importantly in Sri Lanka where tennis is raising its head to the international level. Today, more than 120 nations compete in Davis Cup regularly.

The World Group with 16 nations is the pinnacle of the competition. The remaining nations compete in Groups 1-1V, divided across three regional zones: Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe/Africa.
Sri Lanka goes back to 1953 where it all began. L. P. Earnst was the first Davis Cup Player/Captain to represent Sri Lanka. The first Davis Cup team comprised of L.P. Ernst, D.L. Fonseka (Manager), D. Scharenguivel and R. Ferdinands.

Of all Sri Lanka records a 51-61 win/loss record up to 2009 having played for 57 years.
Sri Lanka has not played in the Zone’s Group II since 1999. It took 11 long years to get back to Group II. Sri Lanka’s best ever performance in the Davis Cup was making the Group II semi-finals for four successive years from 1989-1992 and again in 1995. In 2001, Sri Lanka was demoted to Group IV and in 2004, was promoted back to Group III in Jordan.

The team comprised of Renouk Wijemanne, Rohan De Silva, Rajeev Rajapakse and Franklyn Emmanuel with Irshad Othman as Manager. In 2009 Sri Lanka bounced back to Group II when we played in Syria. The team that did the country proud were Harshana Godamanne, Rajeev Rajapakse, Sanka Athukorale, Guyanga Weerasekera and Non playing Captain, Aasiri Iddamalgoda.