India’s Final 8 hopes hang by a thread after 0-2 deficit against Korea
India's hopes of reaching the Davis Cup Final 8 were left hanging by a thread after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal lost their respective singles matches against South Korea in Seoul on Friday.
South Korea took a 2-0 lead on the opening day of the Qualifier tie after Soonwoo Kwon defeated Davis Cup debutant Suresh 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, before Hyeon Chung fought back to beat India's top-ranked player Nagal 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a match lasting more than three hours.
Suresh made an impressive start against Kwon, taking the opening set and looking comfortable in the early exchanges. The Korean, however, adjusted his tactics, targeting Suresh's backhand with wider serves and using deep returns to prevent the Indian from dictating rallies. Kwon eventually secured a break in the third set and closed out the contest.
Nagal also began strongly against Chung, racing to a 4-0 lead before taking the first set 6-2. Chung gradually found his rhythm, using his movement, drop shots and net play to unsettle the Indian. After levelling the match, the Korean recovered from a 1-3 deficit in the decider as Nagal fought back to make it 5-5. Chung then produced his best tennis at the crucial stage to take the next two games and seal the victory.
The playing conditions also presented a challenge for India. South Korea had prepared a slower court with lower bounce, a surface specifically intended to reduce the effectiveness of Nagal's topspin-heavy game and Suresh's serve. India captain Rohit Rajpal had acknowledged before the tie that the court had been prepared with the Indian players in mind.
India now have to win all three matches on Saturday to overturn the 0-2 deficit and qualify for the Final 8. The doubles rubber between N Sriram Balaji-Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and South Korea's Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-sung is scheduled first, followed by the remaining reverse singles.
India have previously overturned 0-2 deficits in Davis Cup ties twice — against Brazil in 2010 and China in 2018. On both occasions, the team went on to win all three matches on the final day.
with inputs from PTI
