It will be an acid test for Bopanna

New Delhi: Rohan Bopanna will launch India’s 2006 Davis Cup campaign on Friday with a match against Hee-Seok Chung in the Asia-Oceania group 1 first-round tie against Korea in Changwon.

According to information received here, Prakash Amritraj will face Hyung-Taik Lee in the second rubber as per the draw made at the Changwon Municipal Tennis Stadium on Thursday.

Captain Leander Paes will partner Mahesh Bhupathi in the doubles rubber against Oh-Hee Kwon and Woong-Sun Jun on Saturday.

In Sunday’s reverse singles, the two top players ? Lee and Bopanna ? will clash first, followed by Amritraj versus Chung.

The Indians have to rewrite history if they are to emerge victorious. They lost on all three previous visits to Korea.

The experience of Paes and Bhupathi, who won the Asian Games gold in Busan three and a half years ago, will certainly make them favourites in the doubles. Both Indians are fresh from a memorable run at the Australian Open, Bhupathi having won the mixed doubles crown with Martina Hingis and Paes (with Martin Damm) losing a close three-set final to Bob and Mike Bryan in men’s doubles.

In the singles, though, the Koreans will start favourites. It will be a big ask from Bopanna and Amritraj to squeeze out two wins from the four singles rubbers.

The matches will be shown live on Zee Sports.

THE DRAW

Friday: Hee-Seok Chung vs Rohan Bopanna (from 7 am IST), followed by Hyung-Taik Lee vs Prakash Amritraj

Saturday: Oh-Hee Kwon & Woong-Sun Jun vs Leander Paes & Mahesh Bhupathi (from 9.30 am IST)

Sunday: Lee vs Bopanna (from 7 am IST), followed by Chung vs Amritraj. (PTI)