Tennis: Davis Cup team confirmed

Rubin Statham during the Heineken Open. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Davis Cup team to face India in the first round of the Asia/Oceania Group 1 Davis Cup for 2017 has been confirmed.

The tie will be held in Pune in India 3-5 February 2017 in the week straight after the Australian Open.

The team is Rubin Statham, Finn Tearney, Michael Venus and Artem Sitak with Alistair Hunt the non-playing captain.

Rubin Statham ranked 459 in the world in singles is the most capped New Zealand Davis Cup player of all time with 26 ties to his credit.

Michael Venus has a proven record in both singles and doubles in Davis Cup and is ranked 32 in the world in doubles after a top year on the ATP tour where he won four doubles titles and was a finalist on five other occasions.

Finn Tearney has a current ATP singles ranking of 489 and has beaten top 150 ranked players in 2016.

Sitak won the recent Pascoes NZ Tennis Champs singles and doubles titles and is currently ranked 62 in the world in doubles. He has a career high doubles ranking of 39.

"Its a tough tie to select for as we know they are a difficult team to face in sometimes difficult conditions. We currently have several very good players, particularly in doubles and theres only 12 spots between Marcus and Artem on the ATP rankings. Artem played well to take the NZ Champs. We need everyone available to play singles in India as anything can happen," said Hunt. "I have firm belief that we can win this tie. It will take a big effort but we have the players to win."

The last time the two nations played was in 2015 in the Asia/Oceania final in Christchurch where India won 3-2. It was one of the rare times that India had lost a doubles match in Davis Cup.

The overall record between the sides is five wins to India and three to New Zealand.

If New Zealand wins then they would face either Uzbekistan away or Korea at home.

The New Zealand Davis Cup team is proud to be supported by supported by Terrace Downs.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from New Zealand Tennis