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[dextrous]

Davis Cup: India to host Pakistan in Mumbai
New Delhi: India will host sporting arch rivals Pakistan in a Davis Cup first round playoff at Mumbai April 7-9, according to the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

India's Davis Cup captain Leander Paes, who inspected the facilities at Cricket Club of India (CCI) a few days back, has decided that the tie would be played on the team's traditional strength - grass - after consulting with other team members, an AITA statement said.

A team consisting of Bengal Tennis Association secretary Hironmoy Chatterjee, Indian Davis Cup team coach Nandan Bal and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association president Bharat Oza have also visited the facilities at CCI Club, the statement said.

AITA officials will also make further visits to the proposed venue and meet state government officials for a final inspection before confirming the venue.

This will be the first time in 33 years that the neighbours will be meeting in the Davis Cup. The last time they met in 1973 at a neutral venue at Kuala Lumpur, India beat Pakistan 4-0.

India has played against Pakistan five times in Davis Cup and has won all the ties up till now. In 2006, India lost to South Korea while Pakistan lost to Chinese Taipei to set up a clash with each other.

[Sahir]

So idiotic-- playing on grass!  I remember when we made the semifinal of the Davis Cup and were playing Australia at home-- we chose grass-- against Australian serve and volleyers!  I believe it was Wally Masur and Jason Stoltenberg.  Mind you, I believe Ramesh Krishnan had beaten Masur on clay just a year prior to that.  That was so stupid then, and this is not quite as dumb, but dumb nonetheless.  You don't only factor in your own strengths, but also the strengths of the other team.  They really only play well on grass!  Just as in cricket, we should not play Sri Lanka on some raging turner just because we have good spinners-- that's stupid-- so do they!