New Zealand team for Davis Cup in Invercargill

Thursday, 10 August 2023

The New Zealand team for next month’s Davis Cup tennis tie against Thailand in Invercargill features a mix of experience and promise.

Rubin Statham, New Zealand’s most experienced Davis Cup player, has been named in the team alongside Artem Sitak, Ajeet Rai, Isaac Becroft, and Finn Reynolds.

The Davis Cup, known as the World Cup of Tennis, is the premier men’s international teams tennis competition.

It will be returning to Southland for the first time in almost 20 years when New Zealand take on Thailand in a World Group 2 tie at ILT Stadium Southland on 15 & 16 September.

New Zealand Team Captain Kelly Evernden said having a few younger players in the team for this event would test New Zealand’s future Davis Cup potential.

Rai, 24, and Becroft, 22, have been selected for singles alongside Statham, 36, who has played in 33 Davis Cup ties since 2005 and has won 28 singles matches along the way.

“After three ties I have been able to see almost all of our guys under pressure and have selected the feisty Isaac Becroft to back up our stalwarts of Ajeet Rai and Rubin Statham,” Evernden said.

Becroft played singles for the New Zealand Davis Cup team against Finland in 2022.

“If needed, he will have a chance to show his growth and experience from the Finland tie and play well for us,” Evernden said.

Veteran doubles specialist Artem Sitak, 37, who has a world ranking of 167 and has played in 20 Davis Cup ties since 2011, will pair up with Finn Reynolds, 23, who returns to the team after making his Davis Cup debut for New Zealand against Korea, Republic in 2021.

“The addition of Finn Reynolds gives us what I believe is a strong replacement for the doubles team,” Evernden said.

Top New Zealand doubles player Michael Venus, currently ranked 26 in the world, is unavailable for selection due to scheduling, with the Davis Cup event falling shortly after the US Open.

Venus said he was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to play in this Davis Cup event back home in New Zealand, “as it’s always a special week”.

“With how the schedule is this year, I will have been travelling and playing tournaments 18 out of the last 20 weeks before Davis Cup. The week following Davis Cup, I will have four weeks in a row in Asia, followed by another two weeks to finish the year in Europe. I’m almost 36, so I need to try to manage my body and flying to New Zealand for one week in the middle of all that just wouldn’t work.”

Venus said he also needed to spend some time with his young family in London.

“If I play Davis Cup, it will take me another week away from them.”

Evernden said he was excited to get to Invercargill for this Davis Cup tie which “we have to win” if New Zealand is to return to World Group 1.

“Looking forward, I believe that getting into the higher levels will help pull the best out of our future players and teams,” he said.

The importance of winning the tie in Invercargill is also front of mind for Ajeet Rai.

“I think we all know that it’s a must win tie, that’s how we’re looking at it, and we’re going to do absolutely everything to win,” he said.

Rai, who has played in six Davis Cup ties since 2018, said playing tennis for your country in front of a home crowd is a special experience that very few players get in their careers.

“I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to experience it even just once, so every time I get the opportunity to put on a New Zealand shirt, especially in front of a home crowd, in front of family and friends who don’t get to see me play often throughout the year, it’s an amazing feeling,” he said.

Hailing from a small regional sports-mad city himself, Rai said he is looking forward to getting down to Invercargill and being surrounded by passionate and vocal fans.

The Davis Cup event will take place indoors at ILT Stadium Southland, with a temporary tennis court surface laid over the wooden floor in the main arena.

With seating for more than 3000 fans, it is hoped the event will attract one of the largest New Zealand tennis crowds in many years.

There will be two singles matches played on the Friday evening, followed by doubles and reverse singles on the Saturday, with the winner of the most matches taking the overall tie and progressing to World Group 1 play-offs in February.

The New Zealand and Thailand teams will be in Invercargill for most of the week leading up to the event and Tennis New Zealand and Tennis Southland are planning a range of opportunities for local children and fans to interact with the players.