Team India resume their long-standing Asian rivalry against South Korea on Friday in the second round of the at the historic Olympic Park Tennis Centre.
With a coveted spot in November’s Final 8 in Bologna at stake, the winner will become the first team from Asia to reach the knockout finals since the current competition format was introduced.
Both nations enter the tie following dramatic 3-2 upset victories in the first round. India stunned the Netherlands on home soil, driven by a standout performance from Dhakshineswar Suresh, while South Korea edged past world powerhouses Argentina.
Now, ahead of the high-stakes clash, senior Tennis player Yuki Bhambri noted that India needs to have belief and courage to get the job done. He noted that the players need to trust the strategy and also be able to adapt to the constant changes.
“We need two things. One is courage and the other is belief. You need to have belief in your captain and your support staff. I am sure our captain must be telling the same thing. Vishal sir may have spoken about the game and the transition play. That’s the trust you need to show. When it comes to courage, you should be adaptable to changes. There might be circumstances which will force you to change your way. All great players need to change their games tactically and today, both Sumit and Dhakshineshwar need to trust their game and skill,” Yuki said in VETO‘s pre-show.
Soonwoo Kwon’s interesting strategy
South Korea’s number one player Soonwoo Kwon will take on India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh in the opening game of round 2. Ahead of that, Soonwoo has skipped all his training sessions. He has remained a mystery for the Indian contingent, but Yuki believes that it won’t bother the visiting team as there’s enough information about him already.
“People do that. It used to matter back in the day, but with today’s technology, the Indian team will have all the information. He has played the US Open recently and so the team will know things about him. However, the move is surprising. It’s Korea’s strategy and that’s alright, but it shouldn’t bother India,” Yuki said.