New Delhi: Togo will be against a fickle Indian tennis team in their upcoming Davis Cup World Group I playoff scheduled at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) complex here. The Indians will be missing their top-ranked singles players in Sumit Nagal and Yuki Bhambri with Mukund Sasikumar (ranked at No. 365) will be fielded as the highest ranked in singles for the hosts.
Although Togo have only one ranked player in Thomas Setodji (1256), the West African country has made several Davis Cup upsets against opponents such as Indonesia (3-2), Benin (2-1), Algeria (2-1), Congo (2-1), and most importantly they got the better of Lativa last year. Togo’s only shortcoming came against South Africa (3-0).
Togo’s Confidence and Strategy
The Togo men’s tennis team comprising Steodji, Liova Ayite, M’lapa Tingou Akomlo, and Hod’abalo Isak Padio has won 10 of their last 11 Davis Cup ties since 2022. Steodji maintains a 9-3 win-loss ration at the individual level.
According to news agency PTI, Togo players do not train in their country as their base is set up in France and USA where they are facilitated with superior coaching.
Despite the massive difference in the rankings of Indian and Togo players, Steodji was unfazed about the challenge and showed confidence in his team to punch above their weight in the Indian national capital.
“It’s one human against one human. We have two arms, two legs. So we will see. We already beat some players with high ranking as your players. So we’ll see on Saturday. And one day you can play very good. Another day you can play very bad,” Steodji said.
“It just depends on the day. So when you enter in the court, if you think that you can win, you can win. But if you come on court and you’re already lost, I mean, there’s no way to win a match. So that’s our mentality. And that’s maybe why we are here now,” he added.
Togo captain Alisama Abnamba reiterated the words of their top-ranked player, emphasising the attitude of winning to overcome any star-studded team.
“It’s a play-against-player. And you always have to expect the players to play their best. And if you have that attitude, nothing is going to surprise you. So, I mean, these guys have proven, like I said, from 2022 that they can play against anybody. And then the results show,” Abnamba said.
“So with that mindset, the spirit of the team, I mean, we are one group of players chasing the same dream. And I think the attitude is just going to be something that’s going to carry us to the finish line,” he added.
Togo, confident in their ability to overcome ranking differences, emphasises their strong team spirit and winning mentality. The match promises an exciting contest where Togo aims to pull off another improbable victory. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
